For the first time, the TaxPayers' Alliance can reveal the scale of the taxpayer-funded subsidy given to Trade Unions through "facility time". Among the key findings from the TaxPayers' Alliance investigation, via Freedom of Information Requests to all government departments, public sector organisations and "arms length" bodies, are: Northern Ireland... Read more...
Responding to reports of falling deficit, Jonathan Isaby, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "A falling deficit is welcome news, but progress continues to be painfully slow. What’s particularly concerning is that the government had to borrow considerably more than the market was expecting at a time when demand... Read more...
The TaxPayers' Alliance today reveals the real cost to families of the 5p mandatory charge for plastic bags which few realise will come into effect in less than a month's time. The charge - which all large retailers will be obliged to add to our shopping bills from 5th October - will add... Read more...
Responding to the announcement by IPSA that 26 MPs and former MPs owe varying amounts of money to the taxpayer, Jonathan Isaby, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "These MPs and former MPs today named as owing money to IPSA must repay their debts immediately. The lesson of the... Read more...
New research by the TaxPayers' Alliance, conducted via Freedom of Information Requests to all public bodies in the country, has revealed that the government owns at least £3.5 billion worth of artwork - yet only 3 per cent of the work is on display. Much of this art may have... Read more...
New research from the TaxPayers' Alliance shows that the European Commission has spent nearly £2.4 million on grants towards video game development in 2014 alone, the first year of the new "Creative Europe" programme. The most recent EU budget saw Britain contribute 11.4 per cent of total EU funds. No... Read more...
New research from the TaxPayers' Alliance shows that the European Commission has spent nearly £10 million on grants to TV productions in 2014 alone, the first year of the new "Creative Europe programme. The most recent EU budget saw Britain contribute 11.4 per cent of total EU funds. No detail... Read more...
Responding to the announcement of new appointees to the House of Lords, Jonathan Isaby, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "David Cameron promised to cut the cost of politics, but with this additional phalanx of peers appointed to an already overcrowded House of Lords, taxpayers are entitled to question... Read more...
A new briefing note published today by the TaxPayers' Alliance suggests that those bemoaning the "loss" made on the first sale of RBS shares are missing the point. With RBS' balance sheet significantly deleveraged and the capital position much stronger than it was seven years ago, it is the right... Read more...
Responding to the announcement of an "Intensive Activity Programme" for young jobseekers, Jonathan Isaby, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "We have to ensure that the benefit system provides a sturdy safety net for the most vulnerable but it cannot become a long-term alternative to work. It is absolutely... Read more...
New analysis by the TaxPayers' Alliance suggests that Britain's tax system is neither progressive nor balanced across different income groups. The analysis, compiled from Office of National Statistics data, demonstrates that much of the rhetoric around "lifting people out of taxation" or "ensuring that those with the broadest shoulders bear... Read more...
The TaxPayers' Alliance today releases the first thorough analysis of the spending by the Offices of Police and Crime Commissioners across England and Wales. Among the key findings of the report, which contains information on all OPCCs, are: Total spending across all OPCCs in 2013-14 was £52 million, equivalent to... Read more...
The TaxPayers' Alliance today calls on the Government to class London Underground workers as 'essential' and therefore ensure that minimum service is provided during strike action, similar to provisions currently in place for the Fire Service. The United Nation's International Labour Office describes legislating for a "minimum service" provision for... Read more...
New TaxPayers' Alliance analysis has revealed the size of the average family's tax bill over the course of a lifetime. Among the key findings in the report are: Over a lifetime, an average household will pay £734,240 (in 2013-14 prices) in direct and indirect taxes, an increase of 2.3 per... Read more...
Recent media coverage has suggested that the Chancellor is considering merging Income Tax and National Insurance into one single "Earnings Tax," with the Office of Tax Simplification asked to conduct a review into the possibility of doing so. Such a move would be a victory for a years-long TaxPayers' Alliance... Read more...
New analysis by the TaxPayers' Alliance of official European Development Fund records has exposed the wasteful projects funded by the European Commission, costing British taxpayers millions of pounds a year. Among the funding commitments uncovered by the TaxPayers' Alliance are: €245,837 (£173,364) on the Nafasi Arts Space in Dar Es... Read more...
Responding to the formal announcement of IPSA's decision to give Members of Parliament a significant pay increase, Jonathan Isaby, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "Just a week after the Chancellor rightly announced further pay restraint in the public sector, it is totally inappropriate for IPSA to be pushing... Read more...
Responding to calls from the British Medical Association to introduce a sugar tax as a 'useful first step,' Jonathan Isaby, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: It is deeply concerning that the British Medical Association Association is describing what would be a regressive tax, hitting the poorest hardest, as... Read more...
Responding to the Budget, Jonathan Isaby, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "This Budget was frustratingly complicated, but overall this was a tentative step in the right direction. The general focus on eradicating the deficit via spending reductions rather than tax hikes is welcome. It was as ever a... Read more...
Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne will next week stand to deliver his first Budget of the new Parliament. The morning after, Thursday 9th July, the Institute of Economic Affairs and TaxPayers' Alliance will host a post-Budget media briefing.The panel discussion will be chaired by John O'Connell, Director of the TaxPayers'... Read more...
Next week's Budget announcement must be a radical one, significantly reducing spending to ensure that the Chancellor keeps the promise he made Britain before the election: that the deficit will be eliminated by 2018. With Britain still running a £75 billion deficit this year and adding to a £1.5 trillion... Read more...
Responding to the news that electrification work on the Midland mainline and on the Transpennine route between Leeds and Manchester will be "paused", Jonathan Isaby, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "The Secretary of State is right to ensure that electrification delivers value for money, but the delaying of... Read more...
New research from the TaxPayers' Alliance shows that punishingly high taxes on holiday items, insurance and flights have forced up the cost of a holiday abroad by £62 on every holidaymaker in Britain. Read more...
Ahead of anti-austerity protests this weekend, new analysis by the TaxPayers' Alliance today exposes the size of Britain's real national debt and charts its growth since 2010. The picture that emerges is highly troubling and underscores the urgency of the need to repair the public finances.The real national debt extends... Read more...