The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, gave everyone a surprise last week by calling a snap general election this summer.
People will head to the polls on 4 July to cast their votes and determine what the next government will look like.
We know that tax and the state of public finances will be defining issues during the election campaign.
This is an opportunity for the team at Tax Justice UK to shape the debate about what our country looks like.
It also offers the chance to influence a new government and a sizable number of new MPs coming into Parliament for the first time.
A broken country
While we can’t predict the exact outcomes of the election, we do know the context it is being held in.
Everywhere you look, things are falling apart.
Public services should be a social safety net that works for the benefit of everyone. But after years of underfunding and cuts, they are on their knees.
Take the NHS, it is something we all hold dear and should be a source of national pride. But millions are struggling to get the healthcare they need, and it is buckling under the strain.
Finding an NHS dentist is becoming closer to winning the lottery.
New infrastructure is too expensive to build, and roads are scarred with potholes.
Parents are having to pay huge fees to put their children in nurseries.
All the while, people are forced to put unaffordable basics back on the shelves in the supermarket as the cost of living crisis endures.
Brimming with potential
It absolutely does not have to be this way. There is an alternative version of this country just waiting to emerge.
This is a country that can be fairer and more equal. A country that leads by example, taking care of its people and ensuring it stewards an economy, and environment, that future generations can be proud of.
But holding this vision back is a grossly unequal way of doing things, underpinned by a tax system that favours the very richest.
The UK is an incredibly wealthy country. That wealth – of the super-rich people and wealthy companies – can be taxed more fairly.
The tax system needs to change so that those with the very most pay a fairer share.
At Tax Justice UK we have ideas, from wealth taxes to closing unfair loopholes, that can raise tens of billions a year. These are sensible solutions to the problems the country faces.
What we have been missing is the political will to make them happen.
We will make sure that we champion the case for tax reform, both here at home and internationally, during the election, and once a new government is formed.
A fairer country is within reach, but we will need your support to grasp it.
Make sure you can vote
Ensuring you can cast a vote at the election is an important first step to having your voice heard.
You can check if you are already on the electoral register, or register to vote here.