Introduction Electronic devices have become an essential part of home and work life in the 21st century, with government departments commonly supplying them in workspaces and to civil servants. But despite their growing importance, large amounts of these devices continue to go unused. With government net borrowing of £46.1 billion... Read more...
Introduction Today the chancellor announced that the stamp duty land tax (SDLT) threshold for residential properties will be increased from £125,000 to £500,000. SDLT is levied on property transactions above a threshold and introduces another charge on homeowners to the already costly process of moving. That means that for some... Read more...
Executive summary Coronavirus is the most significant new health emergency in a lifetime. But its economic fallout could dwarf the great recession. To maximise the chances of bouncing back, the government should pledge that there will be no austerity for taxpayers and deliver a package of tax and regulatory reforms... Read more...
Introduction This research reveals the cost of civil service benefits to the taxpayer, focusing on canteen subsidy, cycling subsidy and rollover holiday which together accrued a total value of at least £7,610,578 between 2014-2015 and 2018-2019. Many private sector roles do not offer these perks, yet taxpayers are forced to... Read more...
Introduction Scrutinising staffing costs at local and national level is a hallmark of our mission to make government more accountable to taxpayers. This principle underpins our annual Town Hall Rich List, which details remuneration of the highest paid people across local government.[1] It should also apply to municipal government. The... Read more...
Coronavirus is the most significant new health emergency in a lifetime. But its economic fallout could dwarf the great recession. To maximise the chances of bouncing back, the government should pledge that there will be no austerity for taxpayers but instead a package of reforms to sharpen the supply side... Read more...
In recent decades, global food trade has liberalised substantially. According to the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs, Britain imports 47 per cent of its food, 19 per cent coming from outside the European Union. This means that, no matter the time of year, most products can be sourced... Read more...
Introduction When representing their universities, vice-chancellors are sometimes required to attend external functions and meetings related to their role. But such activities do not necessitate the leasing or buying of high-end vehicles to transfer around university leaders on campuses or elsewhere. Most business leaders or heads of large organisations use... Read more...
Introduction Wasting taxpayers’ money on ‘woke’ campaigns is not a new phenomena, with civil servants in the past being sent on diversity training at a cost of £2,000 per person, including ‘awareness workshops’.[1] But mandarins should take great care not to let the pursuit of sensitive social justice causes see... Read more...
The TaxPayers' Alliance submitted to the international development committee inquiry on effectiveness of UK AID on 4th May 2020. Executive summary More government departments using the aid budget has eroded accountability. The secretary of state for international development should have to approve all aid projects to ensure taxpayers can hold... Read more...
The TaxPayers' Alliance submitted to the defence select committee inquiry on defence industrial policy on 27th April 2020. Executive summary The UK should not adopt a Made in UK policy, instead buying more off-the-shelf equipment which is, or will be, in use with other armed forces. If the UK is to... Read more...
Overview: In response to the social distancing and ‘lockdown’ measures put in place to combat covid-19, the chancellor introduced the coronavirus business interruption loan scheme (CBILS). It was set up to offer loans to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), for firms with annual turnover of up to £45 million. 80... Read more...
Introduction The 2020 edition of the Town Hall Rich List marks the 13th version of this list, first compiled in 2007. For the past 13 years the TaxPayers’ Alliance has assembled the most comprehensive list of council employees in the UK in receipt of over £100,000 in total remuneration. For... Read more...
Introduction Wasteful spending by the civil service is not a new phenomenon. The TaxPayers’ Alliance has released numerous reports on this subject, most notably the Bumper Book of Government Waste.[1] Politicians have also drawn attention to the misuse of taxpayer’s money, with the Rt. Hon. Dame Margaret Hodge – the... Read more...
In light of the coronavirus (covid-19) outbreak, there has been massive government intervention undertaken to tackle the public health emergency and prevent the economy from collapsing. The measures which have been announced are highly damaging to the public finances and involve troubling interventions in the economy and the daily lives... Read more...
Introduction It is not surprising that government departments have subscriptions to most national newspapers. These subscriptions are one way in which civil servants are alert to public views and opinions. However, this does not mean that departments should spend a limitless amount on subscriptions to the same newspaper. With the... Read more...
The UK has a wealth of organisations operating in civil society. Many of these, like the TaxPayers’ Alliance and Greenpeace, survive with no taxpayers’ money, only existing thanks to generous donations from private individuals and groups.[1],[2] Yet there are many such organisations that take taxpayers’ money, and then often call... Read more...
Key findings The government plans to raise the employee national insurance threshold in April from £166 to £183 a week, equivalent to £9,500 a year, with an ‘ultimate ambition’ of £12,500 a year. This is welcome news for taxpayers, but implementing the entire change in one go would enable historic... Read more...
Introduction Settlement agreements are legally binding agreements between an employer and an employee that set out the terms surrounding the termination of employment. The purpose of settlement agreements is to resolve any disputes between the two parties that could not be resolved as part of internal procedures, and prevent future... Read more...
In 2018-2019 there were 1,844 public appointments and reappointments to quangos and NHS bodies in England and Wales. 8.6 per cent of all appointees and reappointees made in 2018-2019 declared significant political activity. Of these, 47.4 per cent were Labour party supporters, 31.6 per cent declared an affiliation to the... Read more...
Introduction The publication of our Nanny State Rich List in 2018 showed that the size and excess of public health organisations throughout the UK is increasing. Not merely content with implementing a punitive sugar tax on the population in 2018[1], there have been calls by the former England chief medical... Read more...
Introduction The Christmas lights switch-on is an annual opportunity for communities to gather together and bring in the festive season. While these are community events, councils sometimes turn to celebrities to add some glamour, meaning a cost to the taxpayer for the fees of TV “stars”. This note shows that... Read more...
Introduction With rising inflation and the highest tax burden in 50 years, many households in the UK are struggling with the cost of living.1 Unfortunately, the joys of the festive season also bring additional pressures on household finances. Research from Deloitte shows that the average UK consumer intends to spend... Read more...
Introduction The senior civil servants who lead Whitehall government departments can look forward to some of the most generous retirement packages in the public sector, with a £24.5 million pension pot between them in 2018-19. This is a 22.8 per cent increase from 2017-18, when the pot was just below... Read more...