Today conscience remembers those who have refused to kill, on behalf of their conscience.

conscience sees military taxation as an extension of military service where your taxes are being used for war and the preparations for war. Therefore we fight for the right of conscientious objectors to have the military part of their taxes that currently go towards war and the preparations for war go towards other forms of security instead.

• How many people have withheld some or all of their tax in the last 5 years because they did not want their taxes to contribute to the military, war or the preparations for war or because they were conscientious objectors to military taxation?
• How many people in the last 5 years have requested that the part of their taxes that currently go towards the military, war, the preparations for war or killing be diverted somewhere else?

In their response HMRC stated that they did not retain statistical data on how many people want their taxes to be diverted, but they do keep data on conscientious objectors.

Unfortunately, they have estimated that the cost of complying with the request would exceed the appropriate limit (£600) to be spent on freedom of information requests, therefore the department is not obliged to comply with our request. However, we still have options that we are looking into. The first is to see how much our request exceeds the appropriate limit, and then fundraise for the cost or we can change the scope of our request, for example by narrowing our time scale to one or two years, to see if we can bring the cost of the request down. We will keep you updated with our ongoing requests.

What we have learnt from this correspondence with HMRC is that when engaging with them about war tax resistance and not paying for war and the preparations for war, we MUST raise the fact they we are conscientious objectors to military taxation. Conscientious objection is a legal right and HMRC keeps records on correspondence with conscientious objectors.

Musicians Against Nuclear Arms (MANA) was founded in 1983, At this time, a number of other peace groups from different professions, such as  lawyers, doctors, scientists and clergy were also formed. Still in the Cold War, the nuclear issue at that time was very much in the public arena, and it was acknowledged that various professional bodies, with their own expertise could make an impact within the broader peace movement.

MANA quickly became a leading light in this field, with many high profile performers giving concerts for peace.  The renowned guitarist John Williams has been  MANA’s president since its inception, and many international musicians have become patrons of the organisation. As music is an international language, musicians from around the world can join forces and perform together. A notable event in 1989 was the participation of MANA in an extraordinary venture instigated by International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) in which, under the baton of MANA patron Antal Dorati,  musicians from over 30 nations joined together in the performance of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis in West Berlin, Dresden, Moscow and London.  With IPPNW, MANA was responsible for the London concert at the Royal Albert Hall.

As well as the regular more high profile concerts, such as the annual orchestral Concert for Peace at St James’s Piccadilly, MANA members perform in smaller venues and localities.  These concerts are invaluable to the peace movement, not only as expressions of harmony and unity, but also necessary fund raising events, and a vehicle to promote public awareness.

For the last 20 years, MANA administrator Joan Horrocks has worked tirelessly for the organisation.  We are now urgently looking for her replacement. The position has scope for someone with imagination and initiative.   The successful applicant will work alongside a supportive executive committee.  A love of music, good administrative skills and some knowledge of the peace movement are essential. Alongside the day to day running of the organisation, working with musicians and setting up of concerts is rewarding and exciting.

The position is part time, and has a small remuneration.

Background
The Peace Tax Seven frustratingly met, in the domestic courts, a line of apparently consistent Strasbourg jurisprudence which blocked the way. However, these lines of jurisprudence were no more than early 1980s European Commission reports – they were not even judgments of the European Court of Human Rights. When the Peace Tax Seven went to Strasbourg they were simply met with a refusal to accept that the claim was admissible with no reasons given.

The terrain has now changed. On the 1st December 2009 the effects of the signing of the Lisbon Treaty brought into domestic effect in the UK the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. This has transformed the arguments available to conscientious objectors to milita5ry taxation. The Charter has direct effect. Insofar as UK primary or secondary legislation conflicts with the Charter, that legislation would have to be disapplied. Further, some of the rights are not to be found in the European Convention on Human Rights and one of those missing rights is very important for Roy’s cause. Article 10 of the Charter reads as follows:

“Freedom of thought, conscience and religion

1. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right includes freedom to change religion or belief in freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or in private, to manifest religion or belief, teaching, practice and observance.
2. The right to conscientious objection is recognised, in accordance with the national laws governing the exercise of this right.”

Thus, the right to conscientious objection is enshrined within the Charter. It has been argued that this might well mean that an individual eligible for public funding (Legal Aid) could now re-litigate the issue that we tried to litigate for the Peace Tax 7 with much more success.

We will be moving to a slightly smaller office which will help us to reduce our costs. You can still send us mail to our old address as we will continue to be able to collect it. There isn’t much change to our address – we will now be at 1a instead of 1b.

For any more information about the move please do not hesitate to contact us.

In early 2003, at a US air force base in England as B-52′s bombers prepare to bomb Iraq, a Welsh Weapons Inspector is stopped and searched under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

In recalling the words of a Secretary of State at another massive anti war demonstration: Let them march all they want as long as they continue to pay their taxes, the Inspector hangs up his de-contamination outfit and dons a suit to take on the Inland Revenue.

He refuses to pay his income tax arguing that compelling taxpayers to pay for acts of deliberate killing they profoundly disagree with, is a violation of the law.

As a campaign grows to change the law there is vehement opposition as the State insists that a peace tax would set a dangerous precedent.

Too often war is associated with deaths and statistics and audiences miss out on some of the more subtle but complex issues associated with it. This film opens up these issues and creates new insights! – Head of Philosophy and Ethics, Sir William Perkins School.

Contempt of Conscience is a documentary about the formation, and goals of, a group of conscientious objectors called The Peace Tax Seven.

Yesterday conscience participated in the demonstration against the DESi arms fair opposite the Houses of Parliament.

conscience believes that your taxes should not go towards subsidising the arms trade in any way shape or form, which is why we were out yesterday with our Grim Reaper, Tax Collector and new “money bomb” protesting alongside other peace campaigners and organisations. If you would like to join us on our next demonstration please contact the office at info@conscienceonline.org.uk or call 0207 561 1061.

Ultimately, conscience does not believe that anyone with a conscientious objection to war should be paying for these weapons.

Over the past few years we have witnessed the increasing use of unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly known as drones, to undertake armed attacks around the globe. Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia have all been subject to drone strikes by US or British drones controlled from many thousands of miles away. Palestine is also subjected to drone strikes from Israel.

Although there are claims that the drone strikes are precise and accurate, there are many reports – particular from Pakistan where media are able to obtain first hand reports – of high numbers of civilian casualties.   Legal experts as well as peace and human rights organisations have expressed serious concerns about the growing use of armed drones and even some within the British Ministry of Defence have raised questions about the push towards greater autonomy for armed drones.

As part of International Keep Space for Peace Week, during the week of 1st to 8th October, the Drones Campaign Network is encouraging organisations, local groups and individuals to engage in actions to both raise public awareness about drones and to engage in action to ‘ground the drones’.

For more details and to download a briefing see www.dronecampaignnetwork.org.uk

Our Peace Tax Returns are for people who have a moral or religious objection to military spending on the grounds of conscience and wish to declare their objection to the UK government. We believe that a statement similar to the one in this petition should be included in the official tax return produced by HMRC.