Our 9th annual ThinkTent was bigger and better than ever. In Birmingham, we hosted over 2,500 people at 19 events. All our sessions were live streamed on our YouTube channel, which reached more than 15,000 people online. We were joined by prominent politicians, economists, business people and commentators such as... Read more...
We turned our attention to Croydon and paid a visit to Purley where Jo Negrini, the former chief executive of Croydon council, topped the remuneration charts with a package of £613,895! Setting out our stall in the high street, we asked local residents whether this bumper payout was deserved -... Read more...
The TPA was keeping a keen eye on Northumberland County Council. It comes after its finance officer ruled that the chief executive, Daljit Lally, had received unlawful payments. We'd previously called for the money to be repaid to local taxpayers. But we received shocking information that, instead of paying the... Read more...
The Town Hall Rich List Roadshow saw the TaxPayers' Alliance team in the West Midlands. More specifically we paid a visit to Sandwell Borough Council. Pitching our stall right in front of their headquarters we invited passers-by to take part in a game of "Play Your Council Cards Right!". With... Read more...
Setting out our stall in Cardiff city centre, we were inundated with people wanting to speak to us about council fat cats. We received an overwhelmingly positive response and hundreds of local residents signed our petition. With 14 Cardiff council employees receiving remuneration in excess of £100,000, it’s not hard... Read more...
The Town Hall Rich List Roadshow descended on Shaftesbury in Dorset where residents pay the third-highest council tax bills in Britain. Taking inspiration from a classic TV game show we invited people to join us for a game of "Play your council cards right". But instead of a standard deck... Read more...
We visited the charming seaside town of Skegness in Lincolnshire for another leg of our Town Hall Rich List Roadshow. It's fair to say residents were absolutely staggered at how much their council bosses were paid and hundreds signed our petition to stop council tax rises. Read more...
Our team paid a visit to the picturesque market town of Morpeth for the latest leg of the Town Hall Rich List Roadshow. We were there to ask local residents whether they thought Northumberland County Council's (NCC) HR director deserved remuneration (in 2020-21) of £185,456 - of which £14,470 was... Read more...
For the first leg of our Town Hall Rich List Roadshow we paid a visit to the Kent coast. More specifically Hythe where the local authority had the most council bosses in the county receiving remuneration in excess of £100,000. Setting out our stall in the town centre, residents we... Read more...
We recently held an event to launch our dynamic model of the tax system, built in conjunction with economic consultants Europe Economics. The model predicts the dynamic impact of tax changes on the economy and wages; using official data from the Office for Budget Responsibility (among others). At the event,... Read more...
Rounding off our campaign in Havering, our team were on the ground for three days straight in the run up to the council’s budget meeting, delivering leaflets and speaking to residents. Things culminated with an unusually long (5 hours to be precise) meeting of the council. The majority Conservative Party... Read more...
Our campaign received widespread coverage in the local press plus the backing of many councillors. With no party in overall control of the council, it could only take a few votes to defeat the rise. We've heard that a number of councillors are indeed planning to vote against the proposed... Read more...
The TPA visited the London Borough of Havering to campaign against a planned 3 per cent rise in council tax. Supporters in the area notified us about the rise and following conversations with local councillors we realised it would pass unchallenged unless we acted. The grassroots and research teams sprung... Read more...
ThinkTent – a joint venture between the Institute of Economic Affairs and the TaxPayers’ Alliance – returned live and in-person to the fringe scene of this year's Conservative Party Conference. We hosted a range of politicians, journalists, academics, and business leaders to discuss the key issues facing the country; including... Read more...
Streaming live via Zoom webinar, and available to replay on YouTube. After the (possible!) 21st June unlocking, will pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes be able to come back fighting from the pandemic? Our panel of leading industry voices includes: Founder of Punch Taverns, Hugh Osmond Editor of Chef &... Read more...
Watch grassroots campaign manager, Harry Fone, in conversation with panellists James Frayne of Public First, Andrew Dixon of Fairer Share and journalist and former councillor Harry Phibbs discussing town halls: How we pay for them and what should change. Read more...
In this briefing, Development Director Georgiana Bristol, Grassroots Campaign Manager Harry Fone and Researcher Scott Simmonds discuss the results of the 2021 THRL. They discuss why the THRL is still so important, some of the worst offenders and best performers, and what positive results come from the THRL's publication. ... Read more...
In partnership with ConservativeHome, the TaxPayers' Alliance are delighted to host a panel discussion at the Conservative Party Spring Forum on how to reform business rates and support business. Fringe Date: Friday 26th March 2021Fringe Time: 3.00 – 4.00pm Speakers: Henry Hill, News Editor, ConservativeHome (chair) Paul... Read more...
How worried should we be about the national debt? Join TPA Chairman, Mike Denham, a former Treasury economist, in conversation with economist, Telegraph columnist and Capital Economics Chairman, Roger Bootle. They’ll be taking a look at the bigger macroeconomic picture, with plenty of time to take your questions too. Diary details: ... Read more...
We’ll be joined by Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Rt Hon Stephen Barclay. Steve will be giving his insights into the Budget and taking questions. An MP since 2010, Steve has held roles including Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, Economic Secretary to the Treasury and Secretary of State for... Read more...
John Penrose is the Prime Minister’s Anti-Corruption Champion and has been officially asked to recommend changes to the UK’s post-Brexit Competition and Consumer Regime - published this week. This report, ‘Power To The People: Stronger Consumer Choice And Competition So Markets Work For People, Not The Other Way Round’ will form... Read more...
Watch our expert analysis of the budget featuring John O'Connell (TPA Chief Executive), Mike Denham (TPA Chairman), Andrea Leadsom MP and Georgie Frost (broadcaster and journalist). Read more...
We were joined by Homes Under the Hammer & MoneyMagpie's Jasmine Birtles, MP Marco Longhi and journalist and author Ross Clarke to discuss the effects of the chancellor's stamp duty holiday on the housing market and the reforms needed to improve the process for both buyers and sellers. Read more...
Watch our special episode of TPA Talks here - a review of the Spending Review. Read more...