By Darwin Friend, policy analyst The chancellor has some last-minute reading to do before delivering tomorrow’s spring statement. That’s because this morning the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released the most recent statistics on the UK’s public sector finances. They illustrate the British economy’s recovery from the coronavirus, but... Read more...
by James Roberts, political director of the TaxPayers' Alliance A superb investigation from The Times newspaper has revealed the shocking state of affairs at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). Staff have been sent home on full pay yet not required to work, with hardline unions preventing... Read more...
By Duncan Simpson, research director The terrible war in Ukraine that’s unfolding on our TV screens - courtesy of the evil, cruel Vladimir Putin - will impact British taxpayers in many ways. Energy prices are likely to rise, adding pressure to families already struggling with tax hikes. Sanctions and other... Read more...
by Joe Ventre, digital campaign manager London is still reeling after a week of tube disruption. In scenes all too familiar for those who live and work in the capital, tube workers went on strike; leaving the millions of people who use the service every day in the lurch.... Read more...
By Sara Rainwater, operations director We saw from the news this weekend that there are hundreds of NHS bosses being paid more than the PM. Whether it’s highly paid middle managers or controversial diversity tsars, politicians have done a poor job of keeping an eye on the public sector... Read more...
by Danielle Boxall, media campaign manager at the TaxPayers’ Alliance This week our colleagues down under at the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union celebrated #FuelTaxHonestyDay. It’s part of their campaign against the extortionate rate of fuel taxes, which currently make up 52 per cent of the price of petrol in... Read more...
By Tom Ryan, researcher After two years of covid restrictions, England’s oldest pub, Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in St Albans, is closing its doors. The historic shutdown is a bad omen for the hospitality industry, which has continued to suffer even after the easing of lockdown rules. Now, the... Read more...
by Joe Ventre, digital campaign manager This week, the government released a paper laying out the benefits of Brexit. Almost six long years after the country voted leave, we were finally clued in on what exactly politicians intend to do with it. For taxpayers, the vision left a lot... Read more...
In the current cost of living crisis, one of the key pressures on household budgets is tax. As our latest piece of research shows, the amount of tax that people are paying over their lifetimes has consistently risen over the decades. Read more...
By Scott Simmonds, researcher When the Treasury Committee met last week to discuss the Bank of England’s Financial Stability Report, the Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, highlighted two areas that he considers are contributing to the current cost of living crisis; energy prices, and global supply chains.... Read more...
By Elliot Keck, investigations campaigns manager There is no end to the absurdities of the UK’s VAT system. But one chapter not yet written is that of VAT on pets and animal products. If Dilyn the Downing Street dog was half as influential as his number of column inches... Read more...
By Joe Ventre, digital campaign manager The farmlands of Wales are world-renowned. From lamb to leeks, agriculture has long been a staple of the Welsh economy. In a changing world, big business has become increasingly keen to lap up this land - but not for the reasons you might... Read more...
By Sara Rainwater, operations director The cost of childcare isn't a tax, but it is still something I’ve been painfully aware of since having my first child almost 11 years ago. In fact if I tot up all the money I’ve spent on childcare in the past 10 years,... Read more...
By Benjamin Elks The last twelve months have been tough on the taxpayers, with record levels of spending and tax rises across the board. Through it all, the TaxPayers Alliance has almost been a lone voice. We’ve challenged the fashionable idea that higher spending (and higher taxes to pay... Read more...
By Harry Fone, grassroots campaign manager at the TaxPayers’ Alliance For many Brits Boxing Day means tidying up wrapping paper and nibbling on cold turkey sandwiches. For me it’s football. That’s because today there will be six Premier League matches kicking off up and down the country. It’s already... Read more...
by David Campbell Bannerman, Chairman of The Freedom Association, Conservative MEP 2009-19 and inventor of railway franchising A few weeks ago, vaccine heroine Dame Kate Bingham criticised Whitehall for “groupthink” and a “devastating lack of skills and experience in science, industry and manufacturing”. The TaxPayers’ Alliance agreed, arguing in the... Read more...
By Joe Ventre, digital campaign manager You’d be forgiven for not knowing, but last week was Tax Administration and Maintenance Day. On this auspicious occasion, tax officials publish a load of in depth policy updates. After the fanfare of the Budget, this is the day for under-the-radar adjustments. This... Read more...
by Darwin Friend, policy analyst at the TaxPayers' Alliance Today the National Audit Office released a report on the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, revealing that a massive £4.9 billion from the scheme was accessed fraudulently. That’s more than you’d need to take a penny off income tax. But... Read more...
By Darwin Friend, policy analyst Subsidies - or using taxpayers’ money to support certain sectors, businesses or activities - are like any other form of government spending. But analysis from the TaxPayers’ Alliance has found that 64 per cent of subsidies handed out by the government wouldn't have to... Read more...
by Joe Ventre, digital campaign manager Black Friday in 2021 is a very different occasion from the high street mega sales we saw in years past. A run on the local Argos has been superseded by a mammoth internet shopping session, loading up our online carts with all manner... Read more...
By Harry Fone, grassroots campaign manager at the TaxPayers’ Alliance The government’s decision to scrap the eastern leg of High Speed Two may not have been an easy one, but the logic behind it was spot on. As secretary of state Grant Shapps laid out in his address to the... Read more...
By Sara Rainwater, operations director I hate insurance premium tax (IPT) almost as much as I hate stamp duty land tax (see my previous rant about that one here). I consider myself a responsible adult. Like the vast majority of the population, I like to play by the... Read more...
By Joe Ventre, digital campaign manager One unsung hero of the Christmas season is television. Movie marathons, heartstring-tugging adverts, the Queen’s Speech, Christmas specials of your favourite shows - all of these things add to those festive feelings. Yet as we settle down in the evenings and switch on... Read more...
By Scott Simmonds, researcher After the fallout of the Owen Patterson case, MPs' second jobs have become a topic of heated debate, with the idea of some MPs topping up their already generous salary causing outrage. Of course, few would disagree with the principle of MPs having ‘real... Read more...