The latest report from the Human Genetics Commission, the Government's official genetics advisory body, has piled on further pressure for the deletion of the one million DNA samples of innocent people held on the DNA database. It's long overdue for these samples to be deleted, for a host of reasons.... Read more...
In recent months there has been a lot of discussion about how the Government might help people facing high energy prices. The unions, politicians and various campaigners have called for a crackdown on energy companies they accuse of profiteering. Yesterday, the Renewable Energy foundation revealed that the Government's own... Read more...
David Miliband’s father was a Marxist academic who, throughout his writing career, was sceptical of the Labour Party; it wasn’t Left enough and conceded too much to vested interests, opting for a ‘Labourist’ platform with trade unions and the coalition of Christian Socialists, New Liberals and Fabians within the Labour... Read more...
I’ve added this blog as an addendum to my blog on Norwich yesterday. At one point, and only one, did my head dip for a moment. I was speaking to a chap about our campaign. He agreed with us, wanted lower taxes but then came out with a stonker: ... Read more...
The results of an inquiry into the loss of 25 million child benefit records have been released, they are reported in the Times: "The loss of 25 million child benefit records, complete with sensitive personal information, was brought about by a “woefully inadequate system” being used by staff who were... Read more...
In talking to people about lower taxes and smaller government, we all use day to day examples. High fuel taxes, high income taxes, capital gains taxation etc are all examples we campaign against. Personally, I’d like to share the first principles I take these arguments from, why I work here... Read more...
There's a great leader in the Sun this morning that throws the weight of that paper firmly behind a tax-cutting, waste-eradicating, value for money agenda: This is great news and a clear signal to Brown, Cameron and Clegg: the TPA's campaign is resonating throughout the country. People want the public... Read more...
Regular readers will be aware of our enthusiasm for crime mapping, demonstrated to great effect in the USA and espoused by Boris Johnson in the London Mayoral election - the idea that police should publish all reported crimes with type, date and current status on an online map. We're very... Read more...
Stratford-Upon-Avon, famed birthplace of William Shakespeare, is probably one of the most beautiful towns in the country, so it’s understandable that local residents would be particularly protective of its distinctive medieval streets and picturesque river views. When, in 2003, Warwickshire County Council and Advantage West Midlands-funded sub-quango World Class Stratford... Read more...
On going into the TPA's local newsagent today, I was confronted first by this sign, and then by a very apologetic shopkeeper. It is signs like this, cropping up across the country, that go a long way towards explaining the reason taxation and Government spending are so high on people's... Read more...
The sun shines on the righteous, they say, and it certainly shone for us on Friday when our Norfolk TPA branch were campaigning and petitioning Norfolk residents for lower Council Tax. The only downside was that some hoodlum stole a supporter’s handbag. Nevertheless, in a morning’s work we signed up... Read more...
This morning I've had an article, written with Chris Pope from the American Enterprise Institute, published at The American. It sets out how the current political success of the David Cameron-led Conservative Party isn't based on an embrace of environmentalism: "The recent success of the Conservative Party has owed little... Read more...
Taxpayers heading for a second bad deal? The imminent £11-12bn sale of British Energy is something taxpayers need to watch very closely, because we own 35% of the company. And our interests are in the hands of a panicky discredited government that is desperate for money. Regular readers will recall... Read more...
This video has been released to accompany the Competitive Enterprise Institute's 10,000 Commandments report on the cost of regulation in the United States. Its message is important for us as well: Regulations quietly impose an enormous burden on ordinary families. Just because the burden from regulations is less obvious than... Read more...
The SATs exam shambles, which has left huge numbers of children either without results or with results that are clearly inaccurate, has laid bare a failing that pervades the public sector far beyond just education and schools. The first issue it raises is that of effective and professional contract negotiation.... Read more...
The excellent WhatDoTheyKnow online tool, developed by the MySociety group, makes it easy for members of the public to submit Freedom of Information requests and find out what public sector organisations are doing with their money. It then makes the responses public so that we're all a little better informed... Read more...
What price would you pay for your local councillors elected to your local district, borough, metropolitan or county councils? A few points that we’ve noticed here bring us to ask this question. The first issue must be the shocking increases in councillors’ pay. Windsor and Maidenhead Council this year increased... Read more...
Today The Stirrer followed up on a story reported there yesterday about children at Birmingham schools having their fingerprints taken in order to eat a school meal. The website became aware of the procedure after being contacted by a parent who felt concerned that this contravened civil liberties. As is... Read more...
This week reveals a steady – and welcome – decline in public sector recruitment. As you’ll see on the right, this is the second week that there are fewer jobs on offer in local government, saving you and me money. Sadly, there’s always one too many and you’ll see what... Read more...
There's nothing like a bit of political campaigning from someone who's meant to be impartial and restricted to their given task. Trevor Phillips, the Chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which is charged with ensuring that laws on race, gender, age, religion, sexuality and disability are enforced and... Read more...
One small step On the face of it taxpayers should join the Tories in welcoming the welfare reforms announced yesterday by James Purnell. The headline reforms are: Incapacity benefit to be scrapped... well, actually, it's not being scrapped, it's just being renamed to the Employment and Support Allowance. But as... Read more...
The Telegraph reports serious concerns at the readiness of the Armed Forces: "Less than half of all military units are able to deploy on operations in an emergency, the lowest number ever recorded by the Ministry of Defence. MPs rounded on the Government accusing it of endangering national security and... Read more...
Fiscal Götterdämmerung - but the fat lady hasn't quite sung yet As we've noted more than once, back on the doorsteps in 2005 the proposition that tax was too high just didn't land. You couldn't give it away. In those dark days, the tax and spend consensus seemed all-powerful, especially... Read more...
Network Rail has its debts guaranteed by the Government and enjoys a monopoly. It may not be entirely owned by the state but it is hardly a private sector organisation either. Taxpayers have a very real stake in how the company is run both as its guarantors and as rail... Read more...