by Harry Fone, grassroots campaign manager The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published its annual report for 2020-21 and it raises interesting questions when it comes to grants funded by taxpayers’ money. Under Section 70 of the Charities Act 2006, ministers are permitted to “give... Read more...
by Harry Fone, grassroots campaign manager The TPA has a long history of calling out wasteful spending by councils, particularly when it comes to staff pay and overly generous exit packages. Through our Town Hall Rich List series, we’ve highlighted some of the grotesque remuneration paid to senior staff... Read more...
by Jonathan Eida The question of whether we choose to maintain personal responsibility or whether our lives are ruled by a central authority has taken many forms in recent times. But as today is Junk Food Day, it’s worth talking about one particular battle. Freedom and personal responsibility go hand... Read more...
by Jonathan Eida Encouraging signs surrounding the UK’s economic recovery in the wake of the pandemic have emerged from the Office for National Statistics today. But these positive upticks in our economy come with a caveat. If we are to maintain our upwards trajectory and secure a healthy economic... Read more...
By Danielle Boxall, media campaign manager Thank god it’s Friday - and this isn’t just your average Friday, it’s National Prosecco Day! But Brits popping open a bottle in celebration might not realise they’re paying more tax on their tipple of choice simply because it happens to be fizzy.... Read more...
Voting in council elections can seem in equal parts very important and utterly pointless. It’s important because the elected officials that have the biggest impact on our lives don’t sit in Whitehall, they sit in the town hall. When your bins are collected. Whether that new housing development gets... Read more...
By Scott Simmonds, researcher Businesses on our high streets have been under huge pressure during the coronavirus pandemic. Multiple lockdowns have severely damaged footfall, exacerbating the trend of consumers shopping online. The hollowing out of these centres of our communities affects everyone and has led to high streets becoming... Read more...
On Tuesday in Westminster, the TaxPayers' Alliance called for tax cuts to support Britain's pubs. We launched our new beer mats, which will be distributed in pubs across the country urging punters to sign our petition. We may have finally reached 'freedom day', but the government’s VAT reduction for the hospitality... Read more...
by Joe Ventre, digital campaign manager The four nations of the United Kingdom are on course to unlock, but as many of us embark on a return to something more akin to normal life, the tourism industry remains shackled by covid restrictions. With options for travel overseas severely limited... Read more...
by Tom Ryan, researcher at the TaxPayers' Alliance The Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) released a report on Tuesday that warns public debt could reach levels not seen since the 1950s if the government does not get a handle on borrowing. The pandemic has expanded government debt to... Read more...
By Harry Fone, grassroots campaign manager The BBC annual report is out, which means another slew of info on the pay for top bosses and stars. This year the report reveals the good, the bad, and the ugly. First, the good. The Beeb have finally taken note of... Read more...
By Danielle Boxall, media campaign manager Head to your local tonight, and you might see something strange: solicitors drinking and celebrating. Now, that might be because England thrashed Germany 2-0. More likely, it’s because they are having their first night off since this time last year, when chancellor Rishi... Read more...
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...