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Cardiff shoppers were stopped in their tracks today (Thursday 11 February) as bankers with bowler hats and briefcases started dancing to the Abba tune Money, Money, Money in support of The Robin Hood Tax, which could raise hundreds of billions of pounds to fight poverty, protect public services and tackle climate change.

To see the video click here

The campaign is calling on the leaders of the UK's political parties to support a global tax - The Robin Hood Tax - on banks' financial transactions which could raise hundreds of billions of pounds to help repair the human damage caused by the global economic crisis. The campaign is backed by an unprecedented coalition of domestic charities, aid agencies, unions, faith organisations and green groups.

Chris Johnes, Head of Oxfam Cymru, said, "Those who caused the economic crisis should pay to clean up the mess. The Robin Hood Tax is a way that we can turn a crisis into an opportunity for the world. This tiny tax on bankers that would raise billions to tackle poverty and climate change, at home and abroad."

The dancing bankers in Cardiff city centre was one of a series of activities taking place all over the UK to draw attention and drum up public support for the Tax. Polling carried out by YouGov for Oxfam shows there is already significant public support for a Robin Hood Tax, with almost twice as many people in favour of the policy as oppose it. It is also the public's favoured option for reducing the UK's deficit - well ahead of reducing public spending or raising income tax, VAT or corporation tax. Faced with a 12 per cent deficit, the next government will be facing a stark choice - raising other taxes such as income tax or VAT, cutting services, or taxing the banks. The campaign believes that the Robin Hood Tax is the right idea at the right time.

The Robin Hood Tax would not be levied on banks' transactions with their high street customers, but only apply to transactions between financial institutions. While different rates of tax would apply to different types of transaction, they would start at just five pence for every thousand pounds traded - an average of 0.05 per cent.

But even such tiny taxes would raise hundreds of billions of dollars a year given the scale of transactions - equivalent to $10,000 a day for every one of the 1.2 billion inhabitants of the world's 30 richest countries in the OECD. Experts have estimated an international transaction tax system could eventually raise as much as £250bn ($400bn) every year.

To get involved in the campaign You can follow the Robin Hood Tax campaign on our website www.robinhoodtax.org.uk
Or on Twitter @robinhood