About us

Debt affects all of us, whether it’s personal, local council, or national: we are implicated in this system which makes the majority poor and powerless and keeps the 1% in power.

Debt is a tool to uphold the status quo, part of a system that distributes wealth from the majority and public to the super-rich. Austerity measures, introduced under the excuse of bank bailouts, are a key example: while our public services are being cut, the majority of us is getting poorer and more indebted.

Through audits, assemblies, conferences, research, publications and any means necessary, Debt Resistance UK (DRUK) is dedicated to challenging the narrative of debt as inevitable and apolitical.

Our aims are:

  • to inspire, educate and agitate with other movements to overcome neoliberalism and its debt-grip on us all
  • to shine a light on predatory and exploitative lending practices
  • to raise awareness of how to resist debt dependency and challenge financialisation in practice and on an ideological level
  • to help people feel comfortable to talk about debt: financial matters are not too difficult for us to understand
  • to build strength in numbers to actively resist and oppose illegitimate and oppressive debt at all levels: as debtors, we have collective power
  • to research and organise for a financial system where debt is not a form of power and exploitation
  • to truly democratise finance and the delivery of public services

Because the debt economy is only part of the wider problems of the system we live in, we find it crucial to connect and collaborate with other people and groups. We work towards a world which rejects all forms of oppression and use consensus processes in our work.

Blog

Stop big bank exploitation of local authorities

Help put an end to the exploitation of local authorities by big banks: support the #NoLOBOs crowdfunder We’re excited to share that the #NoLOBOs campaign is going strong. Last year, we provided support for residents objecting to risky and expensive LOBO loans in 18 local authorities. This summer, we aim to double that number and […]

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Attention Deficit #5 – Weekly Debt News Round-Up

Our weekly round-up of debt-related stories from around the web. Please send your links to info@debtresistance.uk, tweet them @DebtResistUK or drop them on Facebook.

Philippines to sue biggest profiteers from climate change

    The Philippines government just opened up a new stage in the fight against climate change. They are using the tool of Climate Debt to take on big oil and the most carbon intense industries.     Climate debt provides a tool to tackle climate change in a just manner. It is the principle […]

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