No more tax-paying (From Stroud News and Journal)

No more tax-paying

HORSLEY peace campaigner Roger Franklin is renouncing his British citizenship to show his solidarity with those who are travelling to Iraq to act as a human shield.

After reading about the plans of Grace Trevett and Ken Nichols O'Keefe in last week's News & Journal peace camp veteran Mr Franklin, 75, decided to sever links with the Government.

Although he intends to keep his passport for the moment he will be withholding taxes and continuing to play an active role in the peace campaign.

"I feel the Government is doing something totally immoral," he said.

"And I refuse to recognise its right to get money from me. "The best expression of one's lack of support is to disassociate oneself from the state and the best way to do that is through the taxes."

Mr Franklin has in the past faced stiff fines and even a spell behind bars for doing this.

He believes there should be a framework for taxpayers to be conscientious objectors and demand the portion of their taxes that are being spent on weapons and defence - around ten per cent - be channeled into a peace fund.

He will not be travelling to Iraq as he feels he might be a burden on the group if he were to join them on the journey but said he may have considered it if he were younger.

"In the Gulf War there was a group of people who went out to sit in the desert and I considered going with them," he said.

Alhough he will not be taking part in the trek to Iraq Mr Franklin will still be playing an active role in the campaign for peace.

"The Stop the War Coalition has organised a major demonstration in London for February 15 and I shall be going on that," he said.

"I could declare my home Tickmorend Nuclear Free Zone independent and I've often thought about putting up a barrage balloon to stop any fighter planes."

* For Mr Franklin's full statement see this week's Stroud News & Journal letters page.