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Left Foot Forward > Published by Daniel Elton, December 25th 2010 at 10:05 am

Support Left Foot Forward’s Living Wage Appeal

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As 2010 draws to a close, progressives must ask themselves what they can do to fight back against the pace of spending cuts, the vandalism of public services, and the Coalition’s decision to make the poorest pay the most.

Left Foot ForwardThrough our evidence-based approach to blogging, Left Foot Forward is determined to carry the fight to the politicians who abuse the facts in support of their agenda and the media collaborators who side with them. To employ an intern to help with this vital work, we are launching We are asking you, our supporters, to help us reach this figure. an appeal to raise £14,300 to pay a London Living Wage.

If you have found Left Foot Forward’s coverage this year enjoyable, informative and thought-provoking, please support this appeal. And if you want to see progressives carry the fight in a year which threatens massive job losses, public services in disarray and the welfare state under sustained attack, please support this appeal.

Left Foot Forward’s appeal has been backed by campaigners for interns’ working rights. Gus Baker of Intern Aware said: “”It is fantastic that Left Foot Forward not only aspires to pay its intern minimum wage, but London Living Wage. Progressives should back this appeal heartily. Other blogs should follow LFF’s example”.

Meanwhile, Interns Anonymous co-founder Alex Try said:

“We wholeheartedly support Left Foot Forward in tackling this issue head on. All progressives should pay their interns a fair wage and all those that care about youth unemployment and low pay should get behind this appeal and look at whether their own organisation pays its interns.”

Please support this appeal and help us continue our mission in an ethically sustainable way.

  • http://twitter.com/casi_insurgente/status/15382648453070848 jack saunders

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/markfergusonuk/status/15382750555021313 Mark Ferguson

    Fully support @leftfootfwd in their living wage campaign – interns deserve fair pay too http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/debsalini/status/15383043925606400 Deborah Segalini

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/aliunwin/status/15383050103824386 Ali Unwin

    support, but it is still 'other people's money'> Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6 /via @leftfootfwd

  • http://twitter.com/hazico_jo/status/15383129866895360 Hazico_Jo

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/terencehodgson/status/15383249857548289 Terry Hodgson

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/jules_clarke/status/15383620193619968 Jules Clarke

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • Anon

    I’m all in favour of having a living wage, but the idea that LFF should be paying anyone for anything is ludicrous. You’re bloggers. Do it in your spare time. There’s nothing about this blog that marks it out as being of superior quality to other blogs which people write for free.

  • http://twitter.com/selinamehra/status/15387528890679296 selina mehra

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/condemus/status/15389260005769216 Hammy Cammy

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/shamikdas/status/15389793466716160 Shamik Das

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6 http://myloc.me/flGZX

  • http://twitter.com/politicana/status/15390439473418240 Richard Lane

    RT @shamikdas: RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6 http://myloc.me/flGZX

  • http://twitter.com/tweetinglaurie/status/15391998190030848 Laurie

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/itscreativecafe/status/15393534026711040 Jill Goble

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • Mister Jabberwock

    This is (a bit) sanctimonious – if you want to raise funds to hire an intern that is great and it is sensible to ask your readers for a contribution. But obviously you would pay the living wage – just like any good business would. But please don’t make the living wage the justification for some “good cause” appeal as if paying it is a charitable act and you are oh so progressive to pay it.

    Doing so undermines the point about the living wage that it is, in London, the wage that anybody should get as a minimum if you want them to work for you and which plenty of businesses pay without making special pleadings to their customers.

  • http://twitter.com/susan_nash/status/15401929081356288 Susan Nash

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • Richard

    “But obviously you would pay the living wage – just like any good business would.”

    Go on then, name all those good businesses you claim operate in the job market.

  • http://twitter.com/marcusaroberts/status/15461933792624640 Marcus A. Roberts

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/dresstotheleft/status/15474194795991040 dresstotheleft

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • Mister Jabberwock

    Richard – I am not saying there are not plenty of businesses that are bad it might even be most – particularly when it comes to cleaning staff. But I know from my own experience that many businesses do pay at least London living wage as a matter of principal and that is not uncommon. Certainly any business I have been involved with pays everyone at least that amount including cleaners and that was never in issue.

    But you are missing the point, which probably means I am not making it well; a good well run business will pay staff sufficient for them to live at least at a certain standard as otherwise you can’t expect staff to work well for you which will cost a business more in the end.

    What I was slightly objecting to and what I think is counter productive and mistaken is for a business to make a great virtue out of doing something that it would be wrong not to do; “Please pay more for our goods because we are charitable to our staff” – it is not charitable it is just doing the minimum you should. Making a virtue of it and making special pleadings gives other businesses a rationale for not doing so as you make it seem exceptional.

  • http://twitter.com/pmmrav/status/15494370899791873 Pat Raven

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal http://bit.ly/edNfpZ

  • http://twitter.com/mswigsy/status/15519057411317760 Wendy Maddox

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal http://bit.ly/edNfpZ

  • http://eoin-clarke.blogspot.com/ Éoin Clarke

    Two minor problems to this type of campaign. 1. People accross the UK should be entitled to a Living Wage, not just London. Also, be careful not to issue a precise number such as £14,300. Presumably it will rise with inflation, and it should also reflect Tory VAT plans. I hope Ed eventually makes it part of red policy, but in the meantime we should look to a figure closer to £16k. Other than that, I will support the Living Wage Campaign in whatever way I can,

  • http://twitter.com/jilted_g/status/15681811543760896 Jilted Generation

    Top Blog, Left Foot Forward (not for profit) gets persuaded by our arguments on interns and starts raising money… http://fb.me/CHughA96

  • http://twitter.com/manishtasunnia/status/15682611519164417 manishta sunnia

    RT jilted_g: Top Blog, Left Foot Forward (not for profit) gets persuaded by our arguments on interns and starts raising money… http://fb.me/CHughA96

  • 13eastie

    Is LFF *really* asking the Big Society to help it to achieve social justice?

  • JC

    Surely the “Living Wage” is very similar to the minimum wage without all the taxes. Why not campain for the removal of income tax and NI on all wages at and below the minimum? If not, what is the purpose of the minimum wage if the “Living Wage” represents the minimum required to live?

  • http://eoin-clarke.blogspot.com/ Éoin Clarke

    JC,

    If they aint earning it in the first place, it can’t even be taxed, so raising the PTA will not increase the wages of the poeple earning between £11.4k and £15k

  • JC

    Éoin,

    If they’re not earning a wage, how do they get one? Don’t you mean benefits?

  • http://eoin-clarke.blogspot.com/ Éoin Clarke

    JC,

    Oh they are earning a wage alright.. Minium wage nets you about 11.4k after tax… This campaign is to raise that to a minium of £14.3k in effect £60 a week extra…

    If you raise the PTA threshold as you suggest [a PTA raise is a good idea but does not solve this]… Then what of the person who still only earns say 11.4k… that extra 3k wouldnt all go to tax under the present system.. only £600 of it would, so even without a PTA raise the siad person would be £2.4k better off….

    Am I making any sense? Apologies, in the event that I am not :(

  • http://twitter.com/thegreenbenches/status/15727604979990528 Eoin Clarke

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • JC

    According to my calculations, minimum wage is £12334.40 pa before tax. £14,300 after tax and NI is £11791.20 pa. Can you check please

  • http://eoin-clarke.blogspot.com/ Éoin Clarke

    JC,

    The minium wage is £5.93 an hour
    Multiply by 38 hours
    Multiply by 52 weeks

    Answer = £11.7

    The personal tax allowance from April is £7.4k Thus leaving £3.3 taxable.

    That means a punter will pay £660 tax per annum on the minimum wage from April leaving him with

    £11.1k

    a living wage would give him £3.2k more.. after tax it would be about £2.5k extra [i.e. £50 a week extra after tax]

    I hope this helps [apologies for the long response]

  • JC

    Éoin,

    I was using a 40 hour week. I work a 42 hour week (in a factory), but realise that office workers work fewer hours. I also included NI in my calculations which is income tak with a different name.

    My point was that if taxes were not payable on the minimum wage, it would be sufficient.

  • http://eoin-clarke.blogspot.com/ Éoin Clarke

    JC,

    It would for those earning enough yes, but not those earning less…
    The two are inextricably linked in quite a confusing way… You can have a PTA threshold of say £15k… whoopee for those earning £14999. But someone in London could still be earning £12k allbiet paying no taxes but it aint enough. I think a PTA £15k & a living wage make tremendous sense, provided both rise with inflation.

    ps. Forgive my maths I am an historian…

  • http://twitter.com/oneoflokis/status/18608470773211137 Liz K

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/extraditiongame/status/18609072634855425 Extradition Game

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/martinokeeffee/status/18609495055802368 Martin O’Keeffe

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/drkmj/status/18610209765203968 DrKMJ

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/trakgalvis/status/18615461394522112 Trakgalvis

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/hitchinengland/status/18616412570394624 Hitchin England

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/leonora1/status/18617073051635712 Jane Ennis

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/slasheduk/status/18620720028319744 SlashedUK

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/altgovuk/status/18620868909334528 AltGovUK

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/slintottuk/status/18621351166214144 Stephen Lintott

    RT @trakgalvis: RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • Craig

    I agree that interns should definitely have to be paid a living wage but…WTF? I’ve really lost a lot of respect for LFF here. Masquerading an attempt to grub money to employ one of their friends as a serious appeal.

  • http://twitter.com/aaronjohnpeters/status/18754365540007937 Aaron Peters

    Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal http://bit.ly/edNfpZ.

  • http://twitter.com/hitchinengland/status/18802820698345472 Hitchin England

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/altgovuk/status/18856235482742784 AltGovUK

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/slasheduk/status/18861824162140161 SlashedUK

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/extraditiongame/status/18880310489911296 Extradition Game

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/drkmj/status/19051718318755840 DrKMJ

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/slasheduk/status/19072769622810624 SlashedUK

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/altgovuk/status/19079718229774336 AltGovUK

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/doublereds/status/19131142284255232 doublereds

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/drkmj/status/19182634441646080 drkmj

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/darkestangel31/status/19227731061379073 darkestangel31

    RT @AltGovUK: RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/reneeandsharon/status/19236627272437760 reneeandsharon

    RT @trakgalvis: RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/altgovuk/status/19298252998311936 altgovuk

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • http://twitter.com/trakgalvis/status/19317542732439552 trakgalvis

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal: http://bit.ly/eeOFF6

  • janie_s

    A living wage would make voluntary charitable work illegal. Very much a Labour type thing (what, someone doing something somewhere that isn’t the government – must be stopped!)

  • http://twitter.com/psychedelicdono/status/21239515247017985 donald james pearl

    RT @leftfootfwd: Support Left Foot Forward's Living Wage Appeal http://bit.ly/edNfpZ

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/01/come-and-work-for-left-foot-forward/ Come and work for Left Foot Forward | Left Foot Forward

    [...] to the generosity of Left Foot Forward supporters, we are now able to begin employing an intern at London Living Wage rates of £7.85 per hour to [...]

  • http://twitter.com/wdjstraw/status/36084353939283968 Will Straw

    @_DaveTalbot @leftfootfwd Keep up: http://bit.ly/ey4bPw