by Joanna Marchong, investigations campaign manager
Start as you mean to go on, and that’s exactly the approach that I’ve taken this year when it comes to uncovering waste in the public sector. After a revelation-packed Christmas, where the TaxPayers’ Alliance made headlines for exposing scandal after scandal, 2025 has picked up right where we left off. From town halls to Whitehall, we’ve been lifting the lid on waste, excess, and hypocrisy. Here are a few lowlights from the first three months of the year.
Beginning at the local level, it is safe to say that residents expect basic and simple services from their councils as a minimum. Despite council tax across the country soaring, it is clear the councils are asking for more but providing less. Published in the Daily Mail, the TPA found that over one in ten councils in the UK are considering reducing one or more bin collection services. Looking at the trend of proposed reductions, councils are slowly reducing collections, with weekly bin collections becoming increasingly rare. Taxpayers are forking out more money than ever, only to be told their rubbish will sit outside for longer.
Universities haven’t escaped our scrutiny either. We revealed in the Times that universities across the UK have spent almost £45 million on EDI roles. Some universities are now paying EDI personnel more than senior academics! While students face crippling debts and institutions cry poverty, money is somehow always available for a growing army of bureaucrats devoted to identity politics.
Meanwhile, our investigation into UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) made the front page of The Sun. Dubbed the ‘Wokey Cokey’, Coventry University conducted a study into the ‘Ontology and Ownership of Internet Dance’ costing taxpayers £199,922. It doesn’t end there. We revealed how millions have been handed out for bizarre projects like "decolonising botany" and examining microaggressions in the music industry. As taxpayers struggle with the cost of living, Whitehall is bankrolling academic navel-gazing that does little for Britain’s prosperity.
It’s not just obscure grants raising eyebrows. Labour, when in opposition, was quick to criticise government spending, but as revealed in The Times, some of the most lavish taxpayer-funded jollies have taken place under new Labour-run departments. This includes taxpayers paying for escape room experiences, Fortnum and Mason treats and private members clubs around the globe. Civil servants were flown to exotic locations for conferences and trips, while Brits were told to tighten their belts.
And the cherry on top of the cake… when civil servants aren’t taking ‘work trips’ or out of the office staff bonding days, many of them still find reasons to skip out on work. Published in the Telegraph, civil servants are calling in sick more than ever. Over 2 million working days are lost each year to civil servants calling in sick. More worryingly, mental health issues have been a more common excuse used each year. Taxpayers shouldn’t be footing the bill for a workforce that increasingly fails to show up.
It’s clear that waste, indulgence and misplaced priorities are still rife across the public sector. Rest assured that the TaxPayers’ Alliance won’t let it slide.
If you have examples of public sector waste that deserve scrutiny, email me at [email protected].