Local currency: Lewes, Brixton, Stroud, Totnes, and now Bristol?

[Ivo]

http://www.bristolpound.org/

I can't see the point of this. Their stated objectives are to ensure that money earned in these places stays in these places - but in practice all they do is provide a little gimmick for a limited number of locals who presumably never venture elsewhere. If anything these are more beneficial to tourists, because they can be kept as a momento - when such schemes aren't usually open to tourists as they are to locals. And if everywhere in the country started doing it, in time we would end up with either (a) billions down the drain as these things become useless or (b) a far weaker national economy as everything becomes localised again.

Thoughts? Does anyone actually believe this might work? At least Bristol is large enough to justify it, I suppose.

 

[gordonthemoron]

it's just a fad

 

[12CSVT]

I think something similar has been going on in Cornwall for several years (primarily as a tax loophole)

 

[Clip]

Im down Brixton quite a lot and I cannot remember ever seeing their currency being used over the counter. Seems a waste

 

[4SRKT]

It's ludicrous. 'Our City, Our Money' says it all. Smallmindedness and an inability to understand how the economy actually works. OK Bristol, survive on 'your money'. Next time I'm there I'll buy everything I need somewhere else first with 'my money' (AKA Sterling) and make sure I don't spend a penny of it in your city. In fact I'll cart everything all the way from Bradford. [/sarcasm]