by Scott Simmonds, researcher Today’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) release of the public sector finances reveals the financial impact a year of coronavirus has had on public sector borrowing. With an opening of the economy almost within reach, government borrowing remains at near-record highs. Here are some... Read more...
By Danielle Boxall, media campaign manager Happy Beer Day! The sun may be shining, but after yesterday’s announced delay to ‘Freedom Day’, a dark cloud is hovering over the hospitality industry. There’s been vast coverage of how pubs have been affected by the pandemic (including our recent guest blog... Read more...
By Danielle Boxall, media campaign manager The past year has been a disaster for pubs - just ask anyone in the industry. Even now they’re fully open (albeit with many lingering restrictions) the nightmare isn’t over. Industry data released this morning by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) confirms... Read more...
by Tom Ryan, researcher at the TaxPayers' Alliance In May the first minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford announced that he is trialling a ‘Universal Basic Income’ (UBI) in Wales, a policy of direct and unconditional cash transfers. This fashionable policy has been tried around the world by governments and... Read more...
By Steve Reynolds, chef and owner of The Stagg Inn in Titley, Herefordshire Covid-19 has been a nightmare for the proprietors of the pubs millions of homeworkers once frequented. For many of us, the last 15 months has been the worst in memory. Some have innovated by offering cook-at-home... Read more...
By Scott Simmonds, researcher The Office for National Statistics's (ONS) release of the public sector finances today reveals the financial impact a year of coronavirus restrictions has had on the economy and subsequently public sector borrowing. It may not be as bad as expected, but the figures still make... Read more...
By Charles Amos, regional coordinator for the TaxPayers’ Alliance With the economy still in turmoil and the prospect of impending inflation, some are looking to something called ‘Bitcoin’ to secure the value of their money. Whether you’re interested in investing in Bitcoin or not, at a market capitalisation of over... Read more...
by Harry Fone, grassroots campaign manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance High Speed 2 is looking for a new chairman. Consequently, would you believe, I’ve thrown my hat into the ring! Let’s get something out the way: I have no hope of getting the job. Everyone can see that.... Read more...
By Tom Ryan, researcher Last night the BBC aired a new investigation exposing widespread abuse of the employment allowance by companies using false directors abroad to cheat the system, using a sketchy scheme which could be costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of pounds. The recent investigation found that... Read more...
By Danielle Boxall, media campaign manager Council tax rates continue to spiral out of control. The number of bills over £2,000 went up by three times this year. According to our recent polling, the tax is seen as the second most ‘unfair’ after the licence fee. This is no... Read more...
By Danielle Boxall, media campaign manager Fancy a change of career or looking for new opportunities? Why not join the public sector? According to the Office for National Statistics' recent employment figures, it’s the only jobs market seeing any growth, and as our Town Hall Rich List confirms,... Read more...
The beginning of this month brought the release of Town Hall Rich List 2021; our yearly publication in which we reveal the sheer scale of the pay, perks, payouts and pensions afforded to council fat cats. The findings are always shocking, but taxpayers are begrudgingly familiar with the formula -... Read more...
By Darwin Friend, policy analyst The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has released the most recent statistics on the UK’s public sector finances. They illustrate the economic costs of coronavirus on the British economy and, combined with labour market figures released earlier this week, demonstrates why we need a... Read more...
by Freya Stear, operations assistant at the TaxPayers' Alliance Yesterday marked 57 years since the launch of BBC Two in 1964. The channel represents only a tiny part of the BBC’s extraordinary growth since its 1922 inception. From its first television programme in 1932, to opening Radio 1,2,3 and... Read more...
By Darwin Friend, policy analyst Today the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has released its UK labour market statistics for April 2021. They reveal some concerning figures demonstrating the need for the government to rescue struggling sectors, like hospitality, by extending the five per cent VAT reduction until April... Read more...
By Harry Fone, grassroots campaign manager at the TaxPayers’ Alliance Income tax wasn’t introduced until the end of the 18th century; and at that time, it was supposed to be temporary! It was created to fund the Napoleonic wars, but over 200 years later, it is still with us.... Read more...
What is council tax? Council tax is a tax charged to the occupiers of residential property by local authorities. It was introduced in Great Britain in 1993 to replace the community charge (commonly known as the ‘poll tax’), which replaced domestic rates in 1990 in England and Wales (and in... Read more...
by Harry Fone, grassroots campaign manager at the TaxPayers’ Alliance Through the 1970s and 80s, inflation was a major issue in Britain. Inflation peaked at 24 per cent in 1974 and hit a low of 0.37 per cent in 2015. In 1997, the Bank of England (BoE) was granted independence... Read more...
Last Tuesday was just another day in lockdown to most, but for us at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, it was a big day. It was dubbed by the press ‘Tax Day’, as the Treasury released more than 30 separate tax consultations and updates. Most of the announcements were somewhat underwhelming, but... Read more...
by Freya Stear, operations assistant Last night, councillors in my borough of Tower Hamlets in East London voted yet again for an increase in the basic allowance that they receive. Only two councillors, Conservative Group Leader, Peter Golds and Independent Conservative, Andrew Wood abstained. Against a backdrop of a... Read more...
By Michael Swadling of the Croydon Constitutionalists I have always been a believer in the idea that whilst you might not agree with someone’s methods, it’s best to assume that their motives are good. Being a resident of the London Borough of Croydon, however, is enough to test anyone’s... Read more...
By Joe Ventre, digital campaign manager NHS Test and Trace has become the latest arena for the debate around wasteful government spending. The recent report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) doesn’t pull its punches, and offers some damning insights. After the bizarre initial decision to pursue a... Read more...
Throughout this unprecedented public health crisis, the efforts of our healthcare professionals have remained at the forefront of the nation’s conscience. This widespread feeling of gratitude has been encapsulated by national claps, astonishing charity drives and windows across the country emblazoned with the letters “NHS”. In many ways, the health... Read more...