Andrew Lansley’s health reforms have proved to be a big source of debate. One area of healthcare that has been subjected to the full force of the reforms is primary dental care - and they will have adverse financial affects on every dental practice in England, taxpayers and the 25... Read more...
Yet another twist has come about in the long-running Norfolk incinerator saga, reports TPA supporter John Martin. The outrageous show trial conducted by the Leader of Norfolk County Council (NCC) Cllr Derrick Murphy – fondly now referred to as “Dear Leader” – at the NCC Cabinet meeting on 7th March... Read more...
The TaxPayers' Alliance has welcomed a jail sentence for former MP Jim Devine. The 57 year old was jailed for 16 months at the Old Bailey after being convicted on two charges of false accounting last month. Matthew Sinclair, Director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said:"Jim Devine didn't admit his guilt... Read more...
Earlier this week, TPA Director Matthew Sinclair appeared before the Treasury Select Committee to give evidence in their inquiry into the 2011 Budget and the state of public finances. You can watch the complete session above, or find more videos like this on our YouTube channel. Read more...
Last year, when I campaigned against a £364K payment East Riding of Yorkshire Council was about to pay Sue Lockwood's pension pot, I highlighted we would not have known about this payment if it hadn't been for someone leaking the story to the Yorkshire Post. The council was determined to... Read more...
Courtesy of a Freedom of Information Request, it has been established that Leicestershire County Council spent in excess of £600,000 between 2009/10 procuring paper, stationary, printers and ink. In these times of austerity and technological innovation, it is time for figures such as these to be radically reduced.In February, I... Read more...
Our annual Town Hall Rich List always manages to provoke a reaction, and this year’s was no exception. Data for the latest 2011 list was taken from councils’ 2009-10 statement of accounts, thanks to a very welcome change in the regulations. Previously, we compiled the information by sending freedom of... Read more...
On 2 March, my non-job of the week was an Interim Head of Parking in an unnamed London borough, paying £500-600 a day. Who said lightning doesn't strike twice? I don't know how I managed to miss this advert from The Guardian which was posted on 8 March, and although... Read more...
The Government's proposed high speed rail line will not deliver the capacity needed. The project is expected to cost over £30 billion (more than £1,000 per family) and has been justified on the basis that it will mean more seats on more trains, yet many towns along and around the... Read more...
Johann Hari has posted on his blog an article that originally appeared in GQ. In it he argued that concern about the national debt is the "biggest lie in British politics". There are a few other arguments which we'll come onto later but this is the central one: "As a... Read more...
All across the South-West, councils are coming up with the same wheeze to supposedly save taxpayers’ money—by spending more of it on new council headquarters! We’ve had Bath & North-East Somerset wanting to spend £12.4million on a new town hall at Keynsham, then Dorset council spending £13.1 million on a... Read more...
Over the weekend I was responding to the March For the Alternative in the media. Looking at the footage, the one thing that really stood out for me, besides the UKUncut crowd's vandalism, were the placards saying "No Cuts". Those placards really placed the march beyond the realistic policy debate. ... Read more...
I wrote last week how Hull City Council spends millions of pounds more than the East Riding on employer pension contributions. This has happened because of mismanagement in Hull over many years. At a time when the council is reining in spending, this is money that could have been spent... Read more...
George Osborne delivered some good news in Wednesday’s Budget. He stated the Government’s intention to simplify taxes, introduced surprise 1p cuts in both Corporation Tax and Fuel Duty and he reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to macroeconomic stability and the fiscal policy tightening programme outlined in the June Emergency Budget. Reviews... Read more...
It is so often claimed by opponents of transparency that it does not have a purpose, that it is meaningless to the average man on the street or that it puts an additional burden on already stretched departments or councils. This is all nonsense. An overused cliché issued by proponents... Read more...
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) recently held a consultation on its proposed ‘Code of recommended practice for local authorities on data transparency.’ The proposed code requires councils to publish information according to three key principles: demand-led, timely and open. To meet these principles, it sets out a... Read more...
Video coverage from this morning's budget briefing is now available - you can presentations from Philip Booth, Sajid Javid MP, Mike Denham, and Matthew Sinclair below. Read more...
This morning the TaxPayers' Alliance and the Institute for Economic Affairs brought together key economic experts to share their findings and analysis of yesterday's Budget.Speakers included Sajid Javid MP, Matthew Sinclair, Director of the TPA, Philip Booth, Editorial Director of the IEA, and Mike Denham, Research Fellow at the TaxPayers'... Read more...
Some welcome tax cuts but beware hidden nasties The TaxPayers' Alliance today said Chancellor George Osborne has offered tax cuts in his second Budget but could have done more to ease the burden on businesses and families. Matthew Sinclair, Director, The TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "Taxpayers will appreciate a cut in... Read more...
Anthony J. Evans, a 2020 Tax Commissioner, blogged yesterday for the Spectator Coffee House site about some principles that should guide the Chancellor while he announces his Budget this afternoon. Our Director Matthew Sinclair also offered his thoughts to the ConservativeHome website this morning. This morning's newspapers carry mostly positive... Read more...
The UK's most infamous non-job has been filled. Regular readers will remember 2 December last year, my non-job of the week was a Future Shape Programme Manager, paying £70K a year. Since then this non-job has been talked about by newspaper columnists and has featured on radio and television. North... Read more...
Back in January we responded to the Communities and Local Government Committee inquiry into the audit & inspection of local authorities. In light of the Coalition Government’s announcement to abolish the Audit Commission, the Committee began an inquiry to ascertain the impact and potential effects of this decision. In our... Read more...
The attempts of Philip Hammond to stereotype anyone who disagrees with his aims as NIMBYs is looking increasingly desperate and starting to lack logic. Much like his business case.Headlines yesterday read: “Minister: Only NIMBY’s oppose 250mph trains”Journalists note that critics have attacked the proposals on the basis of it being... Read more...
ConservativeHome carried an article yesterday morning highlighting the salaries of senior staff at the Local Government Group (LGG), an umbrella organisation that comprises the Local Government Association, the Local Government Improvement and Development, Local Government Employers, Local Government Regulation, Local Government Leadership and Local Partnerships. The article links to the... Read more...