By: Jonathan Eida, researcher at the TaxPayers' Alliance Rishi Sunak has tried to turn caution in economic matters into a virtue following the dramatic demise of his predecessor. On the leadership campaign trail, the now prime minister said: “If the government goes on a huge borrowing spree that is... Read more...
By: Elliot Keck, investigations campaign manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance May was a month of bank holidays. Many took advantage and went away to soak up a bit of sun after a miserable month of April. But for many council officials and councillors there was no need to go... Read more...
by Cllr Joe Otten, councillor for Dore & Totley, Sheffield The latest front in the public health blob’s war on choice can be found in the arcane world of planning policy. Officials in Sheffield are attempting to impose a ban on new hot food takeaways that wish to open... Read more...
by Joe Ventre, digital campaign manager My phone has no signal, and I’m wading through a pile of outdated newspapers and magazines to pass the time - I can only be in one place. Having taken a few non-emergency trips to various London hospitals recently, long waits in corridors... Read more...
by Conor Holohan, media campaign manager At prime minister’s questions last week, Anthony Browne MP brought the House of Commons’ attention to an experiment taking place in South Cambridgeshire. South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) has been trialling a four-day working week for their desk staff, and last month... Read more...
By Joe Ventre, digital campaign manager It’s been a topsy-turvy week. ITV’s iconic daytime duo - former best buddies Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield - have imploded in a flurry of controversy and bitter recriminations. Rishi Sunak appeared on their show to say he thought immigration was too high,... Read more...
By: Elliot Keck, investigations campaign manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance We promised a bombshell in the March edition of this blog. Well here it is. Our investigation, which splashed the Mail+ (the online late edition of the Daily Mail), found that 240 ambulances were delayed by low-traffic neighbourhood schemes... Read more...
By Benjamin Elks, operations manager With the dust settling on the recent local elections, a raft of new councillors will be taking their seats in council chambers across the country. Many will have dreams of fixing potholes, rejuvenating town centres, and ‘delivering’ for residents - if their pre-election leaflets... Read more...
By Mike Denham, chairman of the TaxPayers' Alliance Analysis by the National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR) suggests that the number of people employed by the state is nearly double that of official estimates of 5.7 million. The original NIESR paper raises some excellent questions about exactly... Read more...
by Morgan Schondelmeier, tax and trade policy manager at the British Beer and Pub Association The British people don’t need an excuse for a pint down the pub. One of our most famous and beloved pastimes, the pub has been at the centre of our culture and heritage for... Read more...
by David Taylor, Councillor for St Edward's, Havering The Mayor of London is on a crusade against motorists. According to Sadiq Khan, this is necessary to combat the problem of air pollution. His latest scheme, to extend the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) out to the whole of Greater... Read more...
Our latest research, the 16th edition of the Town Hall Rich List, reveals the top bureaucrats who have received hundreds of millions of pounds from council taxpayers. Here are 10 things you need to know about Town Hall Rich List 2023: We have a pretty tried and tested... Read more...
By: Elliot Keck, investigations campaign manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance March 2023 was the wettest on record. It must come as a relief, then, to council staff that their employers are so generous when it comes to working from home. Why go out in the cold and the rain... Read more...
by John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance Good Friday was also ‘World Health Day’, apparently. This niche celebration, organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO), proclaims their 75th anniversary with a series of colourful graphics and self-gratifying videos. For the uninitiated, the WHO is one of the... Read more...
by Conor Holohan, media campaign manager Last week the Welsh government provided an update on their proposals for a tourism tax. The gist was that the consultation has concluded, and the law will be introduced this Senedd term. The proposed measures would hand councils the power to introduce... Read more...
by Elliot Keck, investigations campaign manager Earlier this week, Humza Yousaf was announced as Nicola Sturgeon’s successor as leader of the Scottish National Party. Consequently, he replaced her as first minister of Scotland, taking office two days later and forming a new devolved government in Holyrood. But his... Read more...
On the day itself, our chairman Mike Denham told an audience at a joint TPA/IEA briefing “our major concern was that Hunt really did nothing about reducing the overall burden of taxation. We still have the highest level of taxation relative to GDP in 75 years.” That’s a problem, he... Read more...
By James Roberts, managing director As we at the TaxPayers’ Alliance said in our full response today, under the bonnet the Budget is full of problems for taxpayers. With something for everyone on tax giveaways, and a whole host of tinkers and tweaks, the devil is in the detail. Here... Read more...
By: Elliot Keck, investigations campaign manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance February brought the news that the vast majority of top tier councils were going to hike council tax by the maximum 4.99 per cent available to them. This wasn’t a surprise to taxpayers - give councils an inch and... Read more...
By Benjamin Elks, operations manager Tobacco has long been the target of many nanny-state policies, intent on restricting adults enjoying a perfectly legal activity. From the menthol ban, to pack size restrictions, to the ever increasing taxes being levied, smokers are being aggressively restricted by those who think they... Read more...
by Michael Swadling, Croydon Constitutionalists The recently announced 15 per cent council tax hike for the residents of Croydon is devastating news. Like the rest of the country, we are already being hit by increased heating costs, general inflation, and the 70 year high tax burden. The planned ULEZ... Read more...
by James Roberts, managing director The dust has now settled on Rishi Sunak’s reshuffle. Last week, the prime minister sprung a reorganisation on an unsuspecting Whitehall: splitting up digital and culture, whacking business into trade and creating a new energy and net zero department. Some said the changes were... Read more...
By: Elliot Keck, investigations campaign manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance It wasn’t a happy new year for taxpayers unfortunately. Last month was a tale of bankrupt councils and indulgent spending across the public sector. There was no worse indulgence than the BBC’s grotesque ten part series on the... Read more...
by Joe Ventre, digital campaign manager Haringey Council has hit the headlines this week after the local council spent over £100,000 of local taxpayers money on renaming a street. Why was this necessary? Well, the street used to be called Black Boy Lane, likely after a pub that... Read more...