David Cameron challenged at strike day PMQs about TPA report on taxpayer funding of trade unions 6

Jonathan Isaby Campaign

There has already been much publicity in the media for our report last week into Taxpayer funding of trade unions. We found that at least £113 million of taxpayers’ money was last year given to trade unions either in direct grants or through taxpayer-subsidised “facility time” – and we believe that it should be stopped.

At yesterday’s Prime Minister’s Questions – coinciding with the strike by many of the unions which are benefiting from that taxpayer funding – Tewkesbury MP Laurence Robertson cited our research as he raised the issue with David Cameron.
The Prime Minster agreed in his answer that it was indeed time to review the situation and said that he would end the practice of “full-time trade unionists working in the public sector on trade union business”. The exchange is the subject of a report in this morning’s Guardian and you can watch if for yourself above.

This is the second week running that TPA research has been discussed at Prime Minister’s Questions. Last week our report into excessive motoring taxes was raised with David Cameron.

Jonathan Isaby

Jonathan is Political Director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance and never tires of reminding people that there’s no such thing as government money - only taxpayers’ money.

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Anonymous

Excellent result. Just hope this gets done as soon as.
Diogenes

Where does your money come from? – koch, exxon, pharma?

Anonymous

You desperately silly man. We earn it – who for is irrelevant. Unions are paid by their members. If they want people to work for them then *they* should pay for them, not the tax payer – who already pays them indirectly through taxation.

Tony

You can call me silly also…but I am rather intrigued to see who backs the TPA, whom one could define as an Enemy of the State…… quite happy to be involved in a name throwing contest if you like…. Tony aged 4
Blarg1987

There again, money from tax payer contracts, go to companies who then pay lobbyists and groups like the TPA for their own ends, instead of offering that product and service for the cheapest possible price to the tax payer.

I agree Unions should be paid by their own members, but companies who benefit from tax payers contractsshould also open their books to say where all the money goes to and should not be able to use money from contracts we give to further political ends