The TaxPayers' Alliance - Campaign

Sutton Council: Your money, their broadband connection

TPA supporter Tony Barnes has brought to our attention yet another example of Sutton Council wasting taxpayers’ money.  Last time they were guilty of increasing executive officer salaries with an extra £11k a year, taking their pay to well over £100,000 a year.  Bear in mind frontline workers are pegged at a 2% increase, not the 10% awarded by the Council to senior officers.

This time, however, Sutton Council is using £92,000 of your money to “furnish councillors' homes with a high-tech arsenal of BlackBerries, laptops and broadband internet connections”. 

Snouts in the trough or what!  The political class line their homes with the newest gadgets and technology with your taxes that you expect to go to frontline services.

Sutton Councillors get a basic ‘salary’ of £9,582.  Surely this can be put to their own gifts and gadgets?  Sutton Council already spends over £1 million pounds on its own publicity, so why is this taxpayer broadband subsidy necessary? 

The fact is it’s indefensible.  On top of a salary meant to cover expenses, including communication, Sutton’s ruling councillors have raided taxpayer coffers to make their personal lives that bit more comfortable as the rest of us struggle to cope in uncertain economic times. 

Their recent catastrophic moves to give senior officers £11,000 more, to levy a £35 cost to collect garden waste and to implement an above inflation Council Tax increase proves only one thing:  Sutton’s ruling councillors are not putting taxpayer value for money first!

If you wish to make your thoughts clear to Sutton’s councillors, you can find their contact details on our previous blog here.  Alternatively, if you want to mobilise Sutton’s taxpayers to bring this issue up with their councillors, please send a letter to the Sutton Guardian, by emailing a letter to letters@suttonguardian.co.uk 

How long are you going to allow the politicians to keep on wasting your money?   

Sutton Council to increase tax and hike executive officer pay by 11%

…unless we can stop them!

Sutton Council’s cabinet approved on Monday a plan to increase council tax and pay council fat cat officers £10,000 more – an increase of 11%, taking their pay to well above £100,000 a year.  To put it in perspective, the cost of the salary awards would pay for garden waste to be collected from 11,000 homes for a year.

So we have to get lobbying.  Similar Bournemouth, Sutton Council wants to tax people more to inflate council officers’ pay.  Unlike Bournemouth Council, however, Sutton Council is Lib Dem controlled.  Bournemouth Lib Dems came out against the Tory package to pay councillors 17% more and give the Cabinet a whopping 32% pay increase.  We can use this against Sutton’s councillors to pressure them into backing down on these outrageous pay deals for officers.  As you may remember, Harlow Council backed down on their pay deal for Town Hall fat cats, so let’s lobby Sutton Council to seek taxpayer value for money, lower taxes in general and to get your money put to frontline services and not bloated salaries for the Town Hall elite.

Points you can make include:
 Council Tax has doubled in ten years;
 Sutton Council spends more than £1million on its own publicity – it would get better publicity by withdrawing this pay deal for executive officers and producing real tax cuts for residents;
 As taxpayers, we expect our money to go to frontline services.  Why are directors getting higher pay when it’s the frontline staff who deliver the service we expect our taxes to fund;
 Sutton Council’s 2008 Budget will end free garden collections and increase the Band D tax bill by £42.  Where is our value for money?

We need only 6 Lib Dem Councillors to switch their votes and side with the opposition against this.  It’s a more marginal council than Bournemouth, so with some hard lobbying we can secure a result for Sutton’s taxpayers.  Below are the contact details for all Sutton Borough Councillors.  Please contact them and lobby them to oppose this pay deal that simply doesn’t deliver taxpayer value for money.

Cllr Margaret Ali (LD) - margaretali99@gmail.com / 07723 024 750
Cllr Sheila Andrews (LD) - 020 8395 3981
Cllr Richard Bailey (LD) - 020 8669 0602
Cllr Shaun Brennan (LD Leader of the Council) - sean.brennan@sutton.gov.uk / 020 8770 5406
Cllr Moira Butt (Con) - moira.butt@sutton.gov.uk / 020 8770 5035
Cllr Richard Butt (Con) - richard.butt@hotmail.com / 07835 288633
Cllr Dave Callaghan (LD) - david.callaghan@sutton.gov.uk / 07711 706514
Cllr Cliff Carter (Con) - cliffcarter1954@yahoo.co.uk / 07742 283746
Cllr Ian Chapman (LD) - ian.chapman@sutton.gov.uk / 07941 316997
Cllr Margaret Court (LD) - mpcourt@hotmail.com / 020 8770 5111
Cllr Tim Crowley (Con) - timcrowley@blueyonder.co.uk / 020 8395 7807
Cllr Ruth Dombey (LD Deputy Leader of the Council) - ruth.dombey@sutton.gov.uk / 020 8770 5044
Cllr John Drage (LD) - john.drage@sutton.gov.uk / 020 8770 5101
Cllr Christopher Dunlop (Con) - Cllr_Dunlop@nonsuchward.org.uk / 020 8643 9080
Cllr Terry Faulds (Con) - terryfaulds@gmail.com / 07803 587122
Cllr Peter Geiringer (Con) - 020 8647 7681
Cllr Lyn Gleeson (LD) - 020 8770 4462
Cllr Bruce Clithero (LD) - bruce.glithero@sutton.gov.uk / 020 8770 5028
Cllr Stuart Gordon-Bullock (Con) - 07973 364803
Cllr Colin Hall (LD) - colin.hall@sutton.gov.uk / 020 8770 5411
Cllr Joan Hartfield (LD) - 020 8395 8427
Cllr Eric Howell (Con) - erichowell37@hotmail.co.uk / 020 8770 5109
Cllr Brendan Hudson (LD) - brendanhudson@btinternet.com / 020 8770 5220
Cllr Kirsty Jerome (LD) - kirsty.jerome@sutton.gov.uk / 020 8296 9829
Cllr Paddy Kane (LD) - 020 8770 5046
Cllr John Kennedy (Con) - john.kennedy@sutton.gov.uk / 020 8770 5102
Cllr John Keys (LD) - john_keys@blueyonder.co.uk / 07962 636476
Cllr John Leach (LD) - 020 8770 5037
Cllr Abigail Lock (LD) - abigail.lock@sutton.gov.uk / 020 8770 5045
Cllr Janet Lowne (LD) - 020 8642 3471
Cllr Jane McCoy (LD) - jayne.mccoy@sutton.gov.uk / 020 8770 5031
Cllr Paul Newman (Con) - paul.newman@sutton.gov.uk / 0208 7703630
Cllr David Pickles (UK Independence Party) - dreadedpickles@yahoo.com / 020 8642 1629
Cllr Pamela Picknett (Con) - 020 8770 5040
Cllr Hamish Pollock (LD) - hamish.pollock@sutton.gov.uk / 020 8647 8202
Cllr Jonathan Pritchard (Con) - jonathan@cheamlive.com / 0870 7605 838
Cllr Roger Roberts (LD) - roger.roberts@sutton.gov.uk / 07803 236467
Cllr Barry Russell (Con) - barry.russell@sutton.gov.uk / 020 8254 9234
Cllr Paul Scully (Con) - council@scully.org.uk / 07967 651 670
Cllr Helen Senior (Con) - cllrhelensenior@btinternet.com / 020 8786 9038
Cllr Tony Shields (Con) - tonyshields@blueyonder.co.uk / 07951 056660
Cllr Jenny Clark (LD) - 07786 056034
Cllr Colin Stears (LD) - 020 8770 5268
Cllr Sue Stears (LD) - 020 8770 6382
Cllr David Theobald (Independent) - david.theobald@sutton.gov.uk / 020 8770 5030
Cllr Roger Thistle (LD) - 020 8770 5033
Cllr Graham Tope (LD) - graham.tope@sutton.gov.uk / 020 7983 4413
Cllr Simon Wales (LD) - simon.wales@sutton.gov.uk / 020 8770 5104
Cllr Mfanwy Wallace (LD) - myfanwy.wallace@sutton.gov.uk / 020 8643 6568
Cllr Peter Wallis (Con) - peter.wallis@sutton.gov.uk / 020 8770 5996
Cllr Graham Witham (Con) - graham.whitham@sutton.gov.uk / 020 8770 5036
Cllr Marion Williams (Con) - councillormarionwilliams@yahoo.co.uk / 020 8770 5661
Cllr Tony Brett Young (LD) - tony.brettyoung@sutton.gov.uk / 020 8770 5103
Cllr Misdaq Zaidi (Con) - councillorzaidi@zaidiandco.co.uk / 07957 203884

Vacancy on Camden Council Standards Committee

Two vacancies have emerged on Camden Council’s Standards Committee for independent residents or members of the public who work in Camden. 

This is an ideal opportunity for TPA activists to hold Camden Councillors to account and see that they abide by the council’s code of conduct. 

This may not have a direct effect on Camden Council’s tax and spending policy, but you will play a valuable role in holding them to account.  Are they misusing taxpayer-funded council property?  Have they voted for an eye watering pay increase, yet not increased their workload accordingly?  There are plenty of questions you can ask to defend the taxpayer’s interest.

You find out more and apply here.

Please do get involved.  It’s up to us to change things, and change starts with you rolling up your sleeves and telling the politicians they’re public servants, not the masters of the people!

TPA Protest at Barnet County Court

This morning a group of dedicated low-tax campaigners descended on Barnet County Courthouse to support TPA activist Rick Stratton in his bid to get justice over his council tax bills.  Rick’s case revolves around Hertsmere Council demanding council tax on a property they declared as “unfit for human habitation”, a sum running into the thousands of pounds Rick just can’t afford.  I doubt that even our over-paid council bureaucrats could afford a lump sum payment were they issued it, despite how overpaid they are.  But, in the current system, it’s one rule for them and one rule for the taxpayer.  The Council declared the property unfit for human habitation and yet still want thousands of pounds in tax from Rick.

Our morning began in a rather sinister fashion.  Literally as soon as we left the station, we were met by a couple of police officers (see left).  Apparently they got a tip off from someone about the protest and it ‘necessitated’ a continuous police presence throughout.  What rubbish!  The police surely have better things to do than marshal a dozen activists politely protesting against the injustices handed out by the greedy state.  Needless to say, passers by were less than amused that we were being monitored by the police, which brought us even more attention and support.

In another shocking twist, Rick told us after his case was heard that the court had switched judges at the last moment, apparently aware of the protest outside.  As they gave no reason why, we can only assume the first judge would have seen sense and rectified the huge bill imposed by Hertsmere Council.  Moreover, the court authorities barred a journalist from the Hendon Times from sitting in on the proceedings.  So first they had the police on permanent surveillance of our protest, next they conducted the proceedings in secret.  Some democracy…

Rick here explains the result, and it isn’t pleasant:

So, pay your council tax, year on year – no matter how much it goes up – or the council take your house!!   It’s that simple and ruthless.

On a brighter note, all throughout the morning passers-by came to join our protest, one gentleman demanding to hold a placard in support of lower taxes.  An elderly couple joined us for around an hour, boosting our numbers and showing that although a TPA protest may start off as a humble event, it will end with more people participating, taking notice and spreading the word for lower taxes.

By the end of the morning we had distributed well over 250 TPA leaflets, as well as attracting enough car ‘honks’ to show overwhelming support for lower taxes.  The politicos in Westminster may think tax cuts aren’t popular.  But they should do what I did today and go and meet the people and get their views.  The people are saying with one loud, clear voice that they are overtaxed and are becoming increasingly impatient as our politicians fail to act.

But it is one thing knowing the virtue of our arguments; we still could have had more people out in support.  Never forget the value our action has to our other activists.  Yes we are always promoting the low-tax cause.  But we are also standing with people the state is trying to bleed dry.  There’s a human element to our action that reinforces our campaigns.  Put simply: tax cuts ease the burden the state imposes on ordinary people who just want the government to back off and let them live their lives. 

Here Rick tells us why you should get involved in our campaign.  If you want to organise a protest or leaflet action day in your borough, contact me today so we can prepare and invite people to come along.  So until the next time we take to the streets to build the majority for lower taxes, I shall leave you with Rick’s wise words…

London area social

Around 40 TPA supporters and activists joined us last night at the Old Monk Pub for the first London area social.  We had a great turnout, allowing the TPA staff to meet our activists working so hard campaigning for lower taxes and better government.  It was also a good opportunity for TPA activists to network and talk about their plans.

Two of our key activists, Austin Spiteri (left) and Saverio Bongo discussed joint campaigns in north London and Hertfordshire.  Austin’s son Richard (right) walked away with the raffle prize, the signed bumper book of government waste.

We also got an excellent turnout from younger activists and those interested in joining the TaxPayers’ Alliance.  Everyone got a pack of Political Trumps, recruitment leaflets and some bumper stickers and you can guarantee that we’ll be organising more of these events in the future.

£34k for a 'Young Mayor Coordinator'

Have a read of this non-job an activist alerted us to:

“Young Mayor Co-ordinator
£27,800 - £34,100 pa inc.

In October 2007, the young people of Newham have voted for their first ever Young Mayor. You will provide principal support to the Young Mayor, working with him to deliver his programme and effectively represent Newham's young people both within and outside the borough. You will manage all communications with the Young Mayor, organise events and manage projects to support the Young Mayor and Young Council. You will deliver annual Young Mayor Elections and events for Local Democracy Week, working with Councillors, Officers and schools to ensure effective delivery.

You will have experience of working with young people, hopefully in youth representation. You will be an excellent communicator, highly organised and effective in project management, and used to working for politicians, whether in local government, Whitehall or Parliament.

As the Council has a normal retirement age of 65, the maximum age for recruiting new employees will usually be 64 1/2.

The London Borough of Newham recognises that everyone in Newham has the right to play a full part in the life of the borough. This means that everyone should have equal access to council services, job opportunities and to having their voices heard.

It is the council's position that everyone should be treated fairly, without discrimination and with respect of their human rights, regardless of their gender, race, age, disability, sexual orientation, HIV status, religion, national or social origin or class.“

Horrified?  Then join up and get involved.  This is the reality of the battle we face, a mountainous bureaucracy creating non-jobs like this, this and the one above.  We need to expose more of this waste and hold them all to account.  Write to the Young Mayor of Newham asking him why he needs someone earning £34,000+ of taxpayers’ money to do the things his deputy mayor and the hundreds of other officers seemingly can’t.  Write to:

Zuhayb Ahmed
Young Mayor of Newham
Newham Town Hall
Barking Road
East Ham
E6 2RP
Email: youngmayor@newham.gov.uk
Tel: 020 8430 2013

If you get any response, let us know.  Ask him of his opinions on waste, spending and tax.  Get his take on Council Tax.  If we can’t get through to the current generation of politicians, then we may as well start debating and discussing with the very people who will pay the price for this government’s over-spending, waste and mismanagement.

Tower Shamlets 'defend' Islamist books

A couple of weeks ago we highlighted a report by the Centre for Social Cohesion that exposed the shocking amount of Islamic Fundamentalist literature stocked in Tower Shamlets’ taxpayer-funded libraries.  So I wrote to the leader of the council and got a reply from their head of Idea Stores (Chief Librarian to you and me):

"Dear Councillor Jones,

In reading the latest Centre for Social Cohesion report into Islamic Fundamentalist literature stocked in public libraries, would you care to explain how and why taxpayers’ money has been used to stock public libraries with books promoting hate, violence and Islamic Fundamentalism?

Yours sincerely,

Tim Aker"

Have a read of thier reply below and tell us what you think of their response in the comments section.  Are Tower Shamlets dodging the questions?  Should they spend taxpayers’ money on terrorist manuals?  Let us know what you think!

Tower Shamlets at it again...

From this morning’s Metro newspaper:

“Two white councillors have hit out after being excluded from a meeting because of their colour.

Peter Golds and Stephanie Eaton said they were outraged at not being asked to take part in the focus group at Tower Hamlets Council in East London.

The gathering was organised to come up with ideas for improving opportunities for Bangladeshi and ethnic minority workers at the council.

Mr. Golds, who leads the Conservatives on the council, has taken the matter to the Commission for Racial Equality.  Ms Eaton, who heads the Liberal Democrat group, made a sarcastic apology after the snub.

Deputy Labour leader Siraj Islam, who organised the gathering, told a council meeting this week: ‘without wishing to be patronising, we felt it should be “Bangladeshi only” because we have the expertise on these matters and we talk to staff in the corridors about concerns’.

Ms Eaton replied: ‘Well, I’m sorry for being white and there’s nothing I can do about that.’ She added: ‘Am I irrelevant because I’m white?  I do actually talk to Bangladeshi’s a lot and think I would have had something to contribute.’

After the cabinet meeting, Mr Golds wrote to council chief executive Martin Smith saying he was ‘disturbed’ by the exclusion.

He has also contacted the commission, asking it whether the move was a breach of equality policies.

Tower Hamlets Council said other sessions would be organised so that all councillors were involved.”

I don’t think much commentary is needed just to say that Tower Shamlets has disgraced itself again.

Please write to the deputy leader, Siraj Islam, who forbade ‘whites’ from attending a council meeting.  His contact details are:

Cllr Sirajul Islam
c/o Cabinet Office
Town Hall, Mulberry Place
5 Clove Crescent,
London, E14 2BG

Tel:  0207 364 4993
Mobile:  07931 708308
cllr.sirajul.islam@towerhamlets.gov.uk; layla.richards@towerhamlets.gov.uk

And the leader of Tower Shamlets Council:

Cllr. Denise Jones
Leadership Office
Mulberry Place
5 Clove Crescent
London, E14 2BG
Tel:  0207 364 4993
Email: layla.richards@towerhamlets.gov.uk; cllr.denise.jones@towerhamlets.gov.uk

Why even stop there, let the local rag know what a shambles Tower Shamlets council are:

Letters Editor
The Tower Hamlets Recorder
182 - 184 High Street North,
London,
E6 2JD,
United Kingdom
Email: john.finn@newhamrecorder.co.uk (specify that the letter is for the Tower Hamlets Recorder letters page)

[EDIT: Hat tip to Richard Brown]

The Wharf
Trinity Mirror,
One Canada Square,
Canary Wharf,
London E14 5AP
Editorial: 020 7510 6306
Email: newsdesk@wharf.co.uk
Fax: 020 7293 2264

[Edit:  Hat Tip to William Norton]

East London Advertiser
138 Cambridge Heath Road London,
E1 5QJ
Telephone (switchboard): 020 77908822
News desk 020 7791 7799
Editor: Malcolm Starbrook
malcolm.starbrook@archant.co.uk

We’ve had some success from our letter writing campaigns before, initiating a debate in Norwich on wasting £300,000 on a campaign to become Unitary.  So why not try it in Tower Shamlets.  We have to hold these maniacs to account!

Islington Branch to kick off their campaigns!

Wednesday saw the first meeting of the Islington TPA, with an impressive turnout of activists committed to a grassroots campaign for change.  We met at the very stylish Alwyne pub in Islington and talked about the local campaign and what plans there are for the coming months.

Chris Williams and Mandy Sosta (above) agreed to be joint organisers of the Islington Branch of the TPA and have committed to an action day in Islington in the second week of October – so watch this space to get involved as they kick off their campaign against inheritance tax.

Islington TPA is launching a fight against a tax hitting millions of ordinary working families every year.  To join in the campaign contact Mandy and Chris at their Islington TPA email address: taxpayers@btinternet.com.  Even if you’re not in Islington, do get involved.  It’s time to abolish an unfair, immoral, unpopular and unnecessary tax.

Islington is just the first of many branches to kick off their campaigns in September.  Next week I am in Liverpool planning out the campaign with our Organiser Veronica Hind.  The week after Hatfield and St. Albans TPA branches are meeting plan the fight against over-spending councils in Hertfordshire.  October sees Derby TPA launch along with TPA members putting motions to councils calling for lower council tax.

Needless to say, the coming months are going to be exciting times for the TPA and a winter of discontent for our high-spending, over-taxing local authorities that have pushed the British taxpayer around for too long.  To join in the exciting campaigns, contact me at tim.aker@taxpayersalliance.com - I look forward to hearing from you!

Campaign Diary 5th September 2007

Interactive forum for TPA Supporters in St. Albans

TPA organiser Martin Thornhill has set up a yahoo group to help St. Albans TaxPayers’ Alliance activists and supporters coordinate campaigns and get in touch, share ideas and debate the issues.  Go to http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/stalbanstaxpayersalliance/ and join in.  We’re an interactive, grassroots campaign where no idea is too small or daft to be heard or debated.  If you’re reading this and live in St. Albans, then join the forum and get in touch.

Liverpool TaxPayers’ Alliance

I will be in Liverpool on Wednesday 19th September meeting TPA activists and discussing the development of a Liverpool branch of the TPA.  If you’re a TPA member or supporter or just interested in meeting and talking about developing a TPA branch in Liverpool, then email me at tim.aker@taxpayersalliance.com.  I look forward to meeting you.

Islington TaxPayers’ Alliance

The first meeting of the Islington TaxPayers’ Alliance will be in Islington on 11th September.  If you’d like to come and join us and share your ideas then email me at tim.aker@taxpayersalliance.com.  We hope to kick start our campaign in Islington with a petition against inheritance tax, so please come along and help the campaign.

Waste and Over-Spending 

If you’ve found any examples of local government waste, then please email them to us and write to your local papers exposing it.  As we report in our non-job of the week and in our survey of the Guardian jobs page, local government waste and over-spending are soaking up incredible amounts of taxpayer’s money and is one we have to put front and centre of public debates.