The main part of the meeting consisted of presentations of different methods of implementing LVT followed in each case by discussion. The organisations and presenters were:
ALTER Tony Vickers
LLC Dave Wetzel
LVTC Henry Law
SFRG Adrian Wrigley
There was no attempt to agree a shared approach as this would be very difficult to achieve. It was recognised that in taking forward its aims the CEJ would need to be flexible while maintaining its principles. It was felt that while the economic case was sound it was not understood by most of the public and politicians. The political barriers had to be tackled and overcome. We should use the present economic difficulties to press forward our agenda.
The second part of the meeting concentrated on the approach the CEJ should be taking. It was agreed that one or two general meetings a year would be appropriate provided there was useful business to transact. It was agreed that there should be a general meeting on the scope of fiscal reform. The meeting would be held at the SES on Friday 10th July from 4 – 6pm and the steering group was asked to prepare an appropriate agenda.
It was also agreed that the CEJ should hold a weekend conference in the autumn on Economic Justice and probably make this a yearly event. Again, the Steering Group was asked to prepare the issues to be covered, to provide a range of subjects and speakers and to make the necessary arrangements to enable this to take place.
Other matters covered included continuing to obtain an All Party Parliamentary Group on Fiscal Reform for Economic Justice. CEJ should look at the previous pieces of proposed or actual implementation of LVT legislation ie the Act passed in Snowdon's time in the 30’s and the Morrison Bill for London later that decade. The scope for enlarging the CEJ by attracting other organisations that supported our original resolution was discussed and should be pursued. The involvement of academics and others of influence such as journalists and professionals should be pursued by bringing them to our meetings and then encouraging them to advocate our approach. Each organisation had a role to play in these matters.
Organisations represented: Land Value Taxation Campaign (LVTC), International Union for Land Value Taxation (IU), Systemic Fiscal Reform Group (SFRG), Land is Free (LiF), Labour Land Campaign (LLC), Professional Land Reform Group (PLRG), Social Liberalist Party (SLP), Christian Council for Monetary Justice (CCMJ), Global Justice Movement (GJM), Henry George Foundation (HGF), Action for Land Taxation (ALTER), School of Economic Science (SES), The UNITAX Association.