Responding to the Chancellor’s speech at Conservative Party Conference, John O’Connell, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “The Chancellor was right to speak about the advantages of a low-tax, free market economy, but now he should follow up by cutting taxes for families and businesses across Britain. “Whilst some savings... Read more...
TPA responds to Prime Minister's Speech Responding to the Prime Minister’s speech at Conservative Party Conference, John O’Connell, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “The Prime Minister’s speech today was full of praise for free markets and innovation, but we need real policies to back up the rhetoric. Despite claiming... Read more...
Responding to Jeremy Corbyn’s proposal to introduce rent controls, John O'Connell, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance said:“Jeremy Corbyn’s speech was littered with fatuous platitudes and the repetition of ruinous spending pledges, with taxpayers footing the bill. "The only substantial policy proposal - to impose rent controls - has been proven time and time... Read more...
Responding to John McDonnell's announcement that Labour will end PFI contracts at Labour Party Conference, John O'Connell, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance said: "While past governments have signed up to some truly dreadful PFI deals, most projects are built to price and specification within the agreed timeframe to the satisfaction of the... Read more...
Responding to Transport for London's announcement that it will not renew Uber's private hire licence, Alex Wild, Research Director at the Taxpayers' Alliance said: "TfL has once again caved into pressure from unions who wreak havoc with their endless strikes and never miss an opportunity to rip-off passengers.This announcement is terrible news for... Read more...
In light of today’s announcement on public sector pay, the TaxPayers’ Alliance are calling on the Government to scrap nationalised pay bargaining.Responding to the government’s announcement that it is beginning to remove the 1 per cent public sector pay cap, Chief Executive John O’Connell said: "The government should scrap nationalised pay bargaining... Read more...
Reports suggest that the government is considering lifting the 1 per cent public sector pay cap. But new research released today by the TaxPayers' Alliance shows that on average, public sector workers are still 10 per cent better off than those in the private sector.Nobody disagrees with paying skilled public sector workers... Read more...
As trade unions threaten disruptive strikes, the TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) this morning reveals 45 trade union leaders took home pay packets of £100,000 or more.The findings are part of the TPA's Trade Union Rich List, which details all Trade Union General Secretaries and Chief Executives whose total remuneration exceeded £100,000 in the financial year 2016-17.... Read more...
A new report by the TaxPayers' Alliance shows that residents in England now pay more for services such as waste collection, airports and bridge tolls. Waste collection fees have risen by 37 per cent and those for airports, harbours and tolls have increased by 109 per cent between 2010 and 2016. Click... Read more...
The UK spends vastly more than the rest of the EU combined on large procurement contracts, and much less on smaller ones, research finds. The United Kingdom published 167 contract award notices on contracts worth €100 million or above. France published 29, Italy 25 and Germany 5. These are worth altogether €73.77 billion and accounted for 52 per cent of such... Read more...
Welcoming the news that the wasteful garden bridge project has been scrapped for good, TaxPayers' Alliance chief executive John O'Connell said:"The writing has been on the wall for this project since Dame Margaret Hodge's damning report four months ago. The fact that the Garden Bridge Trust have been unable to raise the necessary funds... Read more...
New research from the TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) today shows how hard millions of families are hit in order to enjoy a well-earned break. As UK families jet off for their summer break, new research shows how the treasury rakes in £3.1 billion in holiday taxes The average UK holiday maker will pay £68.74 in... Read more...
Following the report by the LSE (covered in the Daily Telegraph this morning) that stamp duty is a negative burden on the UK economy, TaxPayers' Alliance Chief Executive John O'Connell said: "This pernicious tax prevents younger people from getting on the housing ladder, and stops older people downsizing to more manageable homes. This hurts people at every stage... Read more...
Following the publication of salaries of those earning over £150,000 in the BBC's accounts, John O'Connell, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance: "Licence fee payers deserve to know how their money is being spent, so it is right that the BBC have finally published the salaries of some of their... Read more...
Following Philip Hammond's warning that the government must hold its nerve on public sector pay, John O'Connell, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "The chancellor is right to offer caution on public sector pay and to say that we need a grown-up debate about spending. The nation's public finances are still... Read more...
Following from the government's announcement that they will review the public sector pay cap ahead of the Autumn Budget, John O'Connell, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "It would be a grave error for the government to completely abandon prudence with public sector pay when the nation’s finances are in such a... Read more...
Following the government's announcement that they have agreed a "Confidence & Supply Agreement" with the Democratic Unionist Party, Alex Wild, Research Director at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "Taxpayers resent politicians cooking up deals behind closed doors that invariably end with their cash being thrown wherever is politically advantageous rather than where it could... Read more...
Responding to the SNP manifesto, John O'Connell, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "Anyone listening to Nicola Sturgeon today would be forgiven for thinking there was a magic money tree waiting to be shaken to fund this manifesto. Scotland's finances have been in a dire state because of its... Read more...
Responding to Labour's manifesto, John O'Connell, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: This entire manifesto is based on the clearly absurd belief that businesses can be repeatedly hammered with massive tax increases and crippled with regulation without any wider impact on the economy, jobs and investment. If even a handful... Read more...
Responding to Labour's proposals for increased taxes on financial transactions, Alex Wild, Research Director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "When politicians say things that sound too good to be true, invariably they are just that. The idea that vast sums can be raised simply by 'clamping down' on tax avoidance is... Read more...
Reacting to Labour's leaked draft manifesto, John O'Connell, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said:"This manifesto is a toxic mix of nationalisations, interventions and monumental tax hikes. A 1970s-style agenda would be a disaster for the country and the parties should instead be offering up policies that get the economy in shape to compete... Read more...
Reacting to the Conservatives' proposal to cap energy prices, Alex Wild, Research Director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "One of the Prime Minister’s first acts on moving in to Downing Street was signing up to the most expensive conventional power station anywhere in the world at Hinckley Point, so her new found... Read more...
Key findings of analysis of Labour's tax proposals: VAT The VAT lock is specified as applying to the standard rate. It says nothing of exempt or zero-rated goods and services, for example insurance, foods, medicines, building supplies This would also leave room for increasing the 5 per cent rate on... Read more...
Reacting to Labour's pledge to reverse cuts to Capital Gains Tax, John O'Connell, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said:"This is yet another example of politicians making policy on the hoof, promising more money by hiking taxes. In any case, all the evidence shows that cutting CGT has positive effects for the broader economy. If... Read more...