The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles has taken a lead in increasing transparency in his department and streamlining his department with the aim of increasing efficiency and ensuring taxpayers are not forced to foot the bill for government incompetence. Having already instructed every local authority... Read more...
Last Friday, I was discussing public sector arts cuts with Phil Gibby, Director of Arts Council England, South West, on a BBC Radio Bristol morning call-in show. As callers expressed their own views on the arts in Bristol and the West, I was struck by the gulf in expectations between... Read more...
London commuters are having another nightmare getting to work today because of 24 hour strike on the London underground – the second in a month. The Mayor and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) have called for changes in the law governing strikes so that small numbers of workers cannot... Read more...
I'm starting to think about the old-fashioned traffic wardens in a nostalgic way. They were the scourge of every motorist, but – in Hull at least – they generally used some common sense before issuing a parking ticket. Five years ago, Hull City Council took over the responsibility of parking enforcement and awarded a contract... Read more...
Virgin Media announced today that they are going to cut the bandwidth available to peer-to-peer (P2P) protocols during peak Internet usage times for all customers. Peer-to-peer protocols provide a file sharing service so that people can share media, games, and other items - both legally and illegally. Previously, Virgin Media... Read more...
Allister Heath has a really important article in City AM. You will have heard a lot of commentators recently claiming that Ireland's troubles show that spending cuts are bad news for the economy. But the reality is that Ireland is still running a major deficit, and therefore isn't getting a... Read more...
Chris Stokes has written an excellent article in Modern Railways (£) about HS2, questioning whether Britain really needs it. As well as reiterating the weak business case for HS2, Stokes makes the point that there is an opportunity cost with HS2: Read more...
Once again, Tameside Council is demonstrating its beacon status of wasting taxpayers' money. You may remember my last article about Tameside Council's 60 Second News where I briefly mentioned their £36,000 virtual town hall. Well, since that was reported, they have commissioned an iPhone application at a cost of £5,731... Read more...
Yesterday, on the BBC Politics Show on BBC1, I clashed with Tom Trevor, Director of the Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol, over cuts in arts expenditure in the South-West. Trevor argued that a tipping point would be reached if he was expected to cut his budget by 10%-15%. I said this... Read more...
Yesterday on the Daily Politics show Hilary Wharf from the HS2 Action Alliance went up against Transport Secretary Philip Hammond about the HS2 consultation. Hilary Wharf argued that the business case for HS2 put forward by the government is very weak and it is not in the national interest to... Read more...
It is extremely unfortunate that doorstep lenders, pay day loans and loan sharks can often feel like the only option for people who are desperate and aren't able to access more affordable finance. We've all seen the shocking adverts on TV for loans at an APR of over 2,000%. It... Read more...
Encouraging news today as the Daily Telegraph publishes a list of quangos to be abolished by the coalition government. The list, leaked to the paper reveals the highly anticipated list of quasi autonomous taxpayer funded bodies to be scrapped in the essential drive to cut government waste, increase efficiency and... Read more...
As councils look for savings, some radical approaches are being taken. Not content with salami-slicing budgets, a few local authorities are looking to completely change how they deliver services. Take Suffolk council, for example: today we learn that they plan to outsource nearly all of their services. Instead of being... Read more...
Here at the TPA we’re always keen to hear from our supporters. Many get in touch with new campaigning ideas, observations about their local public sector, comments on which direction we should push the campaign – a whole spectrum of thoughts and suggestions that we’re always willing and grateful to... Read more...
If you want an example of how not to regenerate a town, Bridlington is a prime example. These are not just my words; speak to residents of the town, and they will tell you the same. Millions of pounds have been spent on controversial projects and despite local opposition, the... Read more...
In a post last week I discussed how the Department for Business, Innovation, and Skills (BIS) announced that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will be asked to pay 25% of the cost of tracking illegal file sharers under the Digital Economy Act. Parts of this process yet to be outlined in... Read more...
Although, as we’ve previously mentioned, there are definitely fewer non-jobs cropping up on the usual recruitment websites it seems they are still coming to the attention of TPA supporters via local newspapers and the likes. Staffordshire County Council are currently advertising for a Deputy Chief Executive on £134k, despite the... Read more...
Today, Policy Exchange has released an interesting paper about reforming railways so they offer better value for the taxpayer. The key proposals are as follows:• Network rail should be broken down into eight smaller operations, making it easier for regulators to reward the efficient operators and penalise the inefficient. Though... Read more...
Haringey council have spent almost £100,000 on 12 charging points for electric cars to encourage drivers to switch from diesel and petrol cars. However the council have described the scheme as “disappointing” after only one resident has paid the annual £50 registration fees since it was introduced last October. Disappointing... Read more...
In a triumph for transparency, the National Audit Office (NAO) is about to be given more access to the BBC’s books. We have long called for more openness in how licence-fee payers’ money is spent and this new move comes after talks between the BBC Trust (which is there to... Read more...
Yesterday's public sector borrowing stats gave us a sharp reminder just why we need to get on with those spending cuts. Net borrowing for August was actually up on last year, and year-to-date is only marginally below last year - despite the increase in VAT and throttling back on public... Read more...
Should the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government ever find himself in Norfolk with time on his hands, I should be delighted to take him to the pub for a pint or two. You see, I like the cut of Eric Pickles’ jib. And I like it especially... Read more...
It seems there is a new level of council tax in Bath and one paid exclusively by motorists. A camera focussed on cars entering a bus lane in the centre of the city is generating tens of thousands of pounds every month. In 2008/09, the camera at the bus gate... Read more...
The headline in the East Riding Mail this morning read: Staff Pension cutbacks ‘would save council £255,000 over five years’. It sounds good, but when you read the detail, you realise it’s still very much ‘business as usual’ at County Hall, in Beverley. Many will remember Sue Lockwood, the former Corporate Resources... Read more...