Yesterday the House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts published the latest report on the preparations for the High Speed 2 rail project. It demonstrates that Parliament and the public are still in the dark about crucial details – not least when the railway will open and how much it... Read more...
Reacting to the story that Katrina Percy is to be moved into a new job, with less responsibility, but on the same pay, John O'Connell, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance has said: "No one begrudges paying Trust bosses well for the tough jobs that they do but when failures... Read more...
The recent EU referendum was a seismic event for several reasons. Importantly, it proved that a genuine interest and engagement in politics, despite some insisting otherwise, is still possible. The turnout showed that when people believe taking action (in this case, voting) will genuinely effect change, they are more... Read more...
Politicians on the left often talk about how happy people are to pay taxes. Half of voters have even said that they would be happy to pay more tax if it went to the NHS. Even after discounting for virtue signalling, figures, suggest this not the case. Today the Times... Read more...
New research from the TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) reveals that the total amount of tax paid by the average household increased by 2.7 per cent in 2014-2015 on the previous year. Politicians of all stripes lament the high cost of living in the UK yet fail to address one of the major... Read more...
Further spending reduction plans in the NHS have been reported today as NHS England, which needs to find £22bn in efficiency savings by 2020-21, said reorganising local services is essential to improve patient care. The draft sustainability and transformation plans (STPs) include proposals for ward closures, cuts in bed numbers... Read more...
For some, the National Health Service is more than just a healthcare system - it is a sacred cow moulded in our national identity. As a consequence there is precious little debate about how it functions or how it is funded. And the lack of such debate and consequential reform... Read more...
The TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) is today announcing that Jonathan Isaby, the TPA’s serving Chief Executive, is leaving to take up the post of Editor of the soon-to-be launched BrexitCentral.com. Taking his place as Chief Executive of the TPA will be John O’Connell, who has been with the TPA since 2009. As... Read more...
Last week a new government initiative, the Shale Wealth Fund, was announced in a bid to get fracking firmly back on the UK energy agenda. The project, unveiled by Theresa May, is estimated to be worth around £1 billion of funding, which will initially consist of up to 10 per... Read more...
Last year our Public Sector Rich List revealed the staggering pay packets received by some NHS dentists. 30 dentists received more than £300,000 from the NHS, 11 more than £400,000 and five more than £500,000. Those who earned more than £500,000 received an average of £690,572 It’s hard to believe... Read more...
Our Chief Executive, Jonathan Isaby, has a letter in The Times today: Sir, James Sproule, of the Institute of Directors, and David Blanchflower make sensible suggestions for tax changes (“Hammond under pressure to slash VAT and delay tax”, Aug 5). A VAT cut would reduce prices for consumers while increased... Read more...
Guido Fawkes reports that Southwark Council have spent £15,400 on a new logo which is almost indistinguishable from the old one. Despite complaining about funding cuts, the council found £6,819 for designing the new logo and a further £8,581 to spend on implementation. Justifying the project, the ‘Branding Refresh’ report claims... Read more...