UK Parliament debated Money Creation and Society for first time in 170 years. Here’s what they said – on this video – starting at 11:18:
London, 21st November 2014
On Thursday 20th November 2014 over 30 MPs took part in a debate in the House of Commons on money creation and society. This was the first time in 170 years, since the Bank Charter Act in 1844, that the topic has been fully debated.
Money creation affects almost every aspect of our lives, and is directly connected to almost all public policy, including public and private debt levels, house prices, and rising inequality, but it’s very poorly understood. A recent poll found that 7 out of 10 MPs believed that only the government can create money[1], when in fact 97% of money is created by banks as they make loans, as recently confirmed by the Bank of England[2]
MPs acknowledged the problem of their own lack of understanding of money creation [1]:
Peter Lilley MP stated that “A lot has been made of the ignorance of Members of Parliament of how money is created. I suspect that that ignorance…… explains many things, not least why we entered the financial crisis with a regulatory system that was so unprepared for a banking crisis.”
Zac Goldsmith MP was the first to admit at the debate that he does not fully understand the system, stating, “I suspect that most people here would be humble enough to recognise that the banking wizardry we are discussing is such a complex issue that very few people properly understand it.” Continue reading
In the Spirit of the Forum for Stable Currencies