Jubilee Debt Campaign: Vulture Culture Update

Some good news for a change. 

I previously blogged here and here on

 Vulture Funds which profiteer by buying up the debts of heavily indebted poor countries cheaply then seek to recover the full amounts. 

In today's email:

Vulture Funds - we've won

Dear supporter, We’re writing with good news: the Government has announced that it’s going to make the Vulture Funds law permanent. Many of you campaigned very hard to get this law passed in literally the last few minutes before the election last year. It was a tribute to people power – but there was a danger it would expire in June after a ‘sunset clause’ was added at the last minute. Today’s news means that profiteering companies will never again be able to chase massive profits from old debts in British courts – at least from 40 of the world’s most impoverished countries. The law is the first of its kind anywhere in the world, and it has attracted cross-party support. It has already saved the west African country of Liberia $40 million, after it was pursued by two vulture funds. Nevertheless, the vulture fund threat is not over. A US vulture fund, FG Hemisphere, is currently suing the Democratic Republic of Congo, the second poorest country in the world, for $100 million through the Jersey courts. Jersey - a UK Overseas Territory - gets to pick and choose which UK laws it passes, and it hasn’t passed this one as yet. Meanwhile, vultures are still free to swoop in other major legal centres like the United States – but our sister organisation Jubilee USA is hoping to change that. If you’re inspired to make a donation towards our continuing campaigns today, we would massively appreciate your support. Even small donations can make a big difference to an organisation like ours. Congratulations on this victory - and on to the next one! Best wishes, Jonathan Stevenson Jubilee Debt Campaign PS. If you’ve missed bits of the campaign, or you just want to relive the twists and turns, we’ve updated our vultures campaign timeline with today’s news.

Contact details

Jubilee Debt Campaign The Grayston Centre 28 Charles Square London N1 6HT United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)20 7324 4722 Fax: +44 (0)20 7324 4723 Email - for general enquiries and materials requests: info@jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk Web - http://www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk/

Prisoner votes for profit

Prison vote vultures: No-win, no-fee lawyers line up thousands of convicts to claim compensation for being denied their polling rights

Bankers' bonuses, obscene football fees and now compensation for convicts. According the the Mail online article highlighted above, "lawyers have set up shop in dozens of prisons, encouraging inmates to claim compensation for not having the right to vote. They have already collected 2,500 clients seeking payouts at the European Court of Human Rights."

People go to prison for breaking the law which is what many Members of Parliament propose we should do. Others suggest we simply defy European Human Rights law. The Prime Minister reportedly felt physically ill at the prospect of giving prisoners the vote, so much so that it has caused impotency leaving MPs on the backbenches to put a motion before the Commons to do something about it. 

Voters fed up with the 'ambulance chasing' culture that pollutes our justice system don't want to see it spread to aid convicts rip-off taxpayers. We are constantly told to tighten our belts while others get fat at our expense. Some problems simply can't be left to 'localism', the Big Society or simply laissez faire.

Jubilee Debt Campaign: Vulture Culture Bill - Update

On Friday, 26^th February I blogged on the Vulture funds which profiteer by buying up the debts of heavily indebted poor countries cheaply then seek to recover the full amounts, thus depriving the very poorest people in the world of the basic necessities of life while they wallow in the riches of their ill-gotten gains.

After slowing the Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Bill in its Second Reading it failed to pass its Third reading in Parliament when a single Conservative MP objected:

http://www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk/ACTION%201:%20Who%20Killed%20the%20Vultures%20Bill%3F+5572.twl

Coming from a party in which it has been estimated that two-thirds of the shadow cabinet are millionaires this block looks more than insensitive. No understanding of poverty perhaps?

Jubilee Debt Campaign: Vulture Culture

Bankers are not alone in profiting on other people’s misery.

Vulture funds seek to profiteer by buying up the debts of heavily indebted poor countries at a cheap price, then trying to recover the full amount, often by suing through the courts. At least 54 companies, many based in tax havens, are known to have taken legal action against 12 of the world's poorest countries in recent years, for claims amounting to $1.5 billion. This means money released by debt relief is going into the pockets of wealthy investors, not spent on health and education. [Jubilee Debt Campaign]

Today the Vultures Bill passed its second reading, but the Tories slowed its progress. If you are not aware of the Jubilee Debt Campaign please check it out. It is worthy of support.

http://www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk/