by Philip Miller MBE, Executive Chairman of Radio Essex Like many others, I was angered to learn that the BBC will scrap free TV licences for more than three million over-75s. The corporation’s chairman, David Clementi, claimed it is “under severe financial pressure”, threatening to close several TV and radio... Read more...
By policy analyst, Jeremy Hutton Today another set of Estimates Day debates has drawn to a close, although if you blinked you might have missed it. Despite being relatively unknown beyond the walls of Westminster, the Estimates Day debates are theoretically one of the most important days of the parliamentary... Read more...
By Joe Ventre, digital campaign manager “Have you ever noticed how all of the roadworks happen around the end of the financial year?” The anecdote is one that will be familiar to many readers, and refers to councils’ last-ditch attempts to use up their budget before it comes under... Read more...
By Jeremy Hutton, Policy Analyst Proposals to commission a new royal yacht have been common in recent years, spearheaded by a Daily Telegraph campaign that began in 2016. The proposal has attracted support from a variety of political and public figures, including the likes of William Hague, Michael Gove, Liam... Read more...
by Kieran Neild, grassroots assistant at the TaxPayers' Alliance Today, ‘Boris the Builder’ gave a major big speech on the future of the economy. As part of the government's commitment to ‘level-up’ parts of the country, a new Towns Fund has been established to invest in local infrastructure, connectivity and... Read more...
By Sara Rainwater, operations director The coronavirus has left a mark on every part of our country, not least the economy and, of course, the NHS. With Nightingale hospitals put up almost overnight and hundreds of thousands of staff drafted onto the healthcare frontline, the health service may have... Read more...
by Harry Fone, grassroots campaign manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance Coronavirus calls for cars The coronavirus crisis has profoundly disrupted our day-to-day lives, with daily routines - like commuting - transformed. Many have been able to work from home, but those who can’t were told by the Prime Minister Boris... Read more...
By Darwin Friend, policy analyst at the TaxPayers' Alliance A former Pepsi exec is about to become one of the most influential people in Britain. That’s because the BBC has opted for marketing exec, Tim Davie, as its new director general. As many in the media were pointing out... Read more...
By Sam Packer, media campaign manager The coronavirus emergency has hammered taxpayers. With GDP dropping by 20 per cent in April, millions more on the claimant count, nearly 10 million furloughed and overall pay suffering its biggest fall ever, swathes of the country face massive uncertainty and the real risk... Read more...
by Harry Fone, grassroots campaign manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance As our chief executive John O’Connell noted last month, the quangocracy is out of control. It’s high time we cleaned up the state. But which quangos should be first on the chopping block? Finding a definitive list of these... Read more...
Often, when politicians lose control of events, or need something serious done, they call in the army. At times of crisis, the British army is the go-to for disaster and security relief operations in the UK. When the north of England was widely flooded in 2019, it was the Light... Read more...
By Kieran Neild-Ali, grassroots assistant Every year, certain sanctimonious millionaires, celebrities and professional activists demand that people should pay more tax. This January, a group of worthies led by Simon Pegg signed an open letter calling for tax increases. Clamouring to pay more tax gives rise to an obvious question:... Read more...
Sir Richard Packer, former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, explains the impact of protectionism on food prices Trade is a complex area. All sorts of different industries are impacted by trade policies and will have varied views on what the government ought to prioritise. Normally,... Read more...
By Jeremy Hutton, Policy Analyst With the sun out and BBQs blazing, the country seems relatively relaxed about our rising public debt. This is perhaps surprising, given the urgency with which the debt overhang from the 2008 crisis was treated. Commentators, think-tanks and parliamentarians that might once have been hawkish about... Read more...
by Harry Fone, grassroots campaign manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance An energy company owned by Bristol City Council is up for sale, having cost ratepayers £37.7 million. As a former Bristol resident of nearly 12 years, this is unsurprising to me. Time after time, it was clear that poor council... Read more...
By James Roberts, political director Last week, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey donated millions of dollars to a political campaign. But this dosh wasn't for the presidential election, or any campaign for that matter. It was to push for the creation of a universal basic income. Calls for a basic income... Read more...
By Kieran Neild- Ali, grassroots assistant The TaxPayers’ Alliance has always held universities to account over eye-watering salaries and expenditure. Higher education is largely funded by students via loans. But, only 30 per cent of students repay their loans in full, and more often than not, taxpayers are expected to... Read more...
By John O'Connell, chief executive How well have we managed the coronavirus crisis? It’s too early to say in any great detail, though mistakes will have been made in a fast-moving, complex environment. But the performance of Public Health England (PHE) has rightly come under the microscope - its ‘command... Read more...
by Darwin Friend, researcher at the TaxPayers' Alliance There are apparently two certainties when it comes to defence projects: costs and delivery schedules will overrun. Currently, only 5 of 32 major projects are due to be delivered on time. Successive governments of all colours have failed to get a... Read more...
By Sam Packer, media campaign manager The pool stage of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC)’s Home Tour concluded this week. It is a sign of our times that “Home” does not refer to a domestic, Britain-based competition but literally to players’ homes. With darts events, like all other live sports,... Read more...
By Harry Fone, grassroots campaign manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance Today, members of the House of Commons are considering an amendment tabled by David Davis and Esther McVey (among others) proposing a further two year delay to the introduction of off-payroll working reforms or IR35 for short. Here at the... Read more...
The author has asked to remain anonymous, but has been a long-serving council leader and member of cabinet. In the year we celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE Day we have been asked to pull together to show that commitment, single mindedness and resolve that our predecessors showed. Many... Read more...
By Milly Skriczka, development manager As taxpayers, we should not allow the coronavirus to prevent us from holding the representatives responsible for spending our money to account. With a total budget of a whopping £9.7 billion, TfL (and their boss, the Mayor of London) are no exception. Furthermore, today, TfL has... Read more...
By Joe Ventre, digital campaign manager The UK has spent seven weeks in lockdown. Public expenditure is soaring, millions have lost their jobs and large swathes of the public find themselves furloughed and relying on the government to pay their salary. These unprecedented measures have been understandable and justifiable in... Read more...