a. Ethic of accountability

b. How I do or don't charge for public events

c. Economic witness: table of financial accountability

Ethic of accountability 

Money matters if we are to live in and engage with the world. Seen simply, it's just a token of exchange. But press more deeply and money is a type of power. If one person has it, and another doesn't, there's a power imbalance. Such imbalances may be inevitable but they call for mutual accountability if our work is seriously to be about justice.

On this page I therefore give economic account and discuss whether and how I charge for what I do.

Some of my social and environmental activist work is controversial precisely because it engages with power. As my public itinerary shows, I am happy to share my ideas with strange bedfellows. These range from radical campaigning organisations, to academia, the military, police and corporations. I don't mind who I speak to provided I am free to say what I think. But for some, that raises the question of by whom and how much I get paid.

The ideal would be not to have to be paid at all so nobody could say, "He who pays the piper calls the tune." That would be fine if I had a mainstream job or some private source of funding to pay the bills. But as that's not the case, I generally have to earn as I go like most other people. However, because I work with strange bedfellows, and because that might raise questions, I have decided to make my income sources transparent.

Listed in the table below is both what I earn each year - both gross as turnover, and net, after deduction of business expenses accepted by the taxation authorities. I also show income sources wherever a sum exceeds £1,000 in a year, and with smaller amounts if that source might be considered controversial within some of the circles that I move in. Further information of exactly what I do is on the full or short versions of my CV, on my public itinerary, or in my publications. For example, to find out what I say at military staff colleges, check out my publications on nonviolence.

I always feel uncomfortable providing such economic accountability. People today are often OK to talk about their sex lives, but rarely about their money. As such, is economic accountability mere fussing, or is it an important way of trying to create right relationships, as well as guarding against being "sucked in" and so muffling one's own voice?

In Scotland's Iona Community with which I've long had an association, there's an "economic witness" of mutual financial accountability to fellow members. Many people say they find this very hard. It challenges egos, values, sense of self-worth and relationships with one another. And yet, if we're serious about the justice needed to build community and change the way the world is, maybe that's precisely the sort of place we need to start.

How I do or don't charge for public events

My work is relatively well known because I have written a number of books. These represent my work but they pay very little for the time put in. For example, Soil and Soul has so far sold over 12,000 copies and brought in royalties of around £10,000. But it took a year full time and 4 years part time to write, not counting all the research before that. What keeps the show on the road is not doing the writing, but "being a writer" in the public eye - in other words, the money I earn from giving keynote presentations, running workshops, teaching special courses, etc. that the books help to make me known for.

The same is true of most writers, and so when I'm in a position to charge for a day's work or whatever, I try to cover not just the direct time given for an event but also, a share of the background effort that makes it possible and keeps my stuff up-to-date.

People often ask, "What's your charge rate?" In 2007 I took professional advice on this. I was told that what I offer is "unique" (which is only partly true) and that "you need to find a way to set your ‘value’ at a reasonably high rate, while allowing you to be realistic in relation to the kinds of public with whom you want to engage."  The range of figures suggested varied for continental Europe, Britain and America, and for different types of event, but in round sums they were £600 per event or day for NGOs, £1,000 for governmental agencies, and £3,000 or more for corporations, plus in all cases 50% for time spent travelling. (The work that I do with (not "for") the cement-making multinational, Lafarge, is not charged, owing to special circumstances arising out of my activist work). 

While the figures just given have proven to be a helpful ballpark I avoid having a fixed "charge rate" as such. When asked to do something I seek to agree a figure that's fair all round. This runs from top going rates down to zero - and most of what I do for local community based groups where I live in the Greater Govan area of Glasgow is unpaid, as is some of what's done further afield. The high-payers cross-subsidise the rest. The bottom line is that when I divide my net income by the hours worked in a year it comes out at about £8 an hour. That constitutes a living but not a killing, though it helps that the mortgage is now paid off.

Organisations that want to invite me to speak at an event or teach a course should make contact by email in the first instance.  My itinerary gives approximate dates when I'm already booked. This is a rough guide only. It does not detail most personal events or times I've loosely scheduled for writing. Also, some of the events for which I'm booked for may be flexible. For example, I often do Thought for the Day on Radio Scotland, but can usually swap with somebody else if there's a clash at sufficient notice. Sometimes, too, I'll have accepted to do an event unpaid on the understanding that if work that is paid or otherwise particularly pressing comes up we'll have to cancel or postpone since my livelihood is entirely freelance.

My policy on travel and flying

Part of my work is international and concerned with global issues such as war, climate change and corporate responsibility. Although I am aware of the environmental cost, I nevertheless find that I have to fly to remain engaged in this way. From where I live on the west coast railway line (which is often unreliable for connections) it would take 2 days each way to get to many European destinations by train. Nobody's going to pay me for that amount time. The dilemma is either to stay at home and stop working on international issues, or continue to bite the bullet and fly when necessary to remain effective. That said, every year I turn down invitations, even well paid, where I just don't feel the carbon karma can be justified.

The amount of travel I do can be wearing and a bit of a busman's holiday. To give a talk in, say, the south of England or the middle of Wales, is the best part of a working day each way on a train. With such further-flung events, as well as with events abroad, I try to group invitations together. I therefore encourage groups that wish to issue an invitation first to check my itinerary to facilitate this if possible.

As part of minimising wear and tear from the travelling I'm no longer so willing to burn the candle at both ends or to rough it as much as was once the case. Normally that doesn't mean requesting "good" hotels, first class travel, etc.. But it does mean needing accommodation that provides peace and quiet where I can keep up with my other work whilst on the road. I invariably find that hosts are very understanding of this, and I thank them for such consideration as well as the interest that they take in the work to which I'm committed.

Last Updated: 21 April 2010

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