Thomas Attwood

Barbara Panvel, who created the Attwood Award in 2002, had said that it might be wise not have any expectations of the meeting.

Well, thanks to her remarkable efforts in the background I was over the moon! Kelvin Hopkins MP read messages from MPs’ and other well-wishers. John Johansen-Berg gave a most comprehensive overview of Thomas Attwood as a ‘historic model’ for monetary reform as an issue. He was followed by Patrick Baird from the Public Service for Archive and Heritage at Birmingham Central Library.

Then I showed these slides to illustrate the history of Early Day Motions which Austin addressed in his acceptance speech. I have never heard Austin Mitchell MP talking about the subject as animated before. He called money the ‘unseen manager’ and will definitely put an EDM down relating to the ‘credit crisis’. He had seen the ‘10 ways out of the credit crisis‘ in The Independent.

Lord Sudeley with his family’s bankruptcy and the fraudulent execution of his grandmother’s will represented the most prestigious historic ‘bank victim’, echoed by Lord Ahmed more recently. Elfyn Llwyd MP expressed his admiration before Dr. Molly Scott Cato, Economics Spokesperson of the Green Party in the UK, encouraged us not to be disheartened.

Other MPs as well as Baroness Uddin were in the audience and after a break we heard input from the followings speakers:

Andrew Lydon, Localise West Midlands

Colin Hines, the Green New Deal

Mike Grimsdale, former Bank Manager of Lloyds

Mike Croft, Founder of the-coop.com and The Caleb Group.

Dr. Lilly Evans, co-organiser of Dr. Muhammad Yunus at St. James’s Piccadilly.

We ended up in the tea room as an animated group of 12 until it closed at 5.30pm. Saying good-bye took ages in the sun lighting up the gold touches of the Palace of Westminster.

Coincidentally, a debate of the Economic Research Council on the Welfare State was the evening event For the first time I was not alone but took with me William Shepherd who has published the History of Usury.

A discussion of the Welfare State where John Bird MBE, the founder of the Big Issue, impressed me tremendously. He embodies what Muhammad Yunus advocates: social business.

Austin Mitchell MP
to receive the 2008 Attwood Award

To honour his continued commitment to monetary reform, Austin Mitchell MP will receive the 2008 Attwood Award on April 22^nd 2008 in the House of Commons, Committee Room 10.

Since 2002, Austin Mitchell MP has tabled seven Early Day Motions and supported an eighth one tabled by David Chaytor MP. In total, they were signed by 70 MPs from 7 parties. Ann Cryer, David Drew and Alan Simpson have also signed all eight EDMs.

The current EDM 265 is entitled Green Credit for Green Growth and was tabled by Austin Mitchell MP on November 11^th, 2007. It is accompanied by two related issues also tabled by Austin Mitchell MP: the increase in interest of Student Loans (EDM 263) and the Tax Avoidance practised by big accountancy houses (EDM 219).

Furthermore, Green Credit for Green Purposes is a 19-page report that Austin Mitchell MP submitted to the Treasury Select Committee in response to its inquiry into the economics of climate change and the Stern review. The report was published on February 5^th, 2008 and contains the full submission.

The Attwood Award was established in 2002 and has honoured local, regional and national initiatives that contribute to the promotion of a new economics grounded in social and spiritual values.

Angela Shaw, a young descendant of Thomas Attwood, will present the 2008 Attwood Award to Austin Mitchell MP, celebrating his advocacy of public money for public needs. John Johansen-Berg, chairman of the Fellowship of Reconciliation and a founder member of the Bromsgrove Group, will give a short introduction to the history of the Award and Thomas Attwood, Birmingham’s first MP who advocated monetary reform.

The event will be chaired by Sabine McNeill, Organiser of the Forum for Stable Currencies, who received the Award in 2003.