Following the latest - and most shocking - revelations in the MPs' expenses saga, regarding Elliot Morley's claims for a mortgage that had already been paid off, the TaxPayers' Alliance have registered a formal complaint with the Metropolitan Police today. We have asked them to investigate whether Mr Morley is in breach... Read more...
For individuals at a certain level of the civil service it must be reassuring to know that if you fail - however spectacularly - you will never be out of work for long. Most likely another public sector appointment awaits you, perhaps with a slightly lower profile, but also perhaps... Read more...
Heather Brooke, the Freedom of Information Campaigner who won a High Court victory over the Parliamentary authorities to force the release of MPs’ expenses details, and the TaxPayers' Alliance have teamed up to produce a petition pressing for the immediate publication of all expenses receipts and guaranteed future transparency: We the people call... Read more...
Our stalwart Surrey TPA organiser Peter Webb gives us his campaign diary for Febrary, March and April. During the period campaigning has continued the pattern as before with local emphasis directed at the County Council. In particular: Following the meeting on 28th January for 2009-10 budget briefing a... Read more...
There is a video on the Newsnight website of Stephen Fry telling Michael Crick that all the fuss over MPs' expenses is 'nonsense', 'isn't the big picture' and 'simply doesn't matter'. Predictably, I beg to differ. I am a big fan of Stephen's work, the biggest in fact. But... Read more...
For a year from September 2007, my TPA blog continued to chronicle crap from the politicos in what amounted to updates to my book “Crap: A Guide to Politics”. The beginning of that blog describes the book itself, and the Introduction explains why my main source of political journalism was... Read more...
Yesterday the Coventry Telegraph used the our ‘Town Hall Rich List’, published last month, to run a story about the top ten bosses at Coventry City Council raking in no less than £1million between them. The fact that today the same newspaper published an article about two very elderly residents... Read more...
The latest revelations in the ongoing MPs’ expenses scandal revealing the indiscretions of the Tory front bench prove once and for all that the problem is a cross-party one, clearly so embedded in the culture of the House of Commons that politicians on all sides have been taking advantage of... Read more...
Houghton Hall - built on the proceeds of Sir Robert Walpole's efforts not to get rich in public service Amidst all the jaw-dropping revelations about their abuse of expenses, we have heard many MPs saying "we become MPs to serve the public... I can assure you that nobody comes into politics to get... Read more...
David Brooks yesterday used his column in the New York Times to draw peoples attention to the startling results coming out of New York's 'Charter Schools'. "The typical student entered the charter middle school ... in sixth grade [12 years old] and scored in the 39th percentile among New York... Read more...
Yesterday we held a very successful action day to launch the logo and slogan of our EU Campaign: TPA Activists handed out thousands of leaflets and free car window stickers to commuters at King's Cross, St Pancras, Charing Cross and Westminster Tube station: The leaflets and the message were... Read more...
If there is one overarching lesson for MPs in today's expenses revelations (other than "Stop claiming money that you don't deserve") it is that there is no point blindly trying to keep these claims secret. It would have been better for all involved to have released the full expenses details... Read more...
Illegal immigration is a controversial issue for all developed countries. Political parties and campaign groups have argued all sides of the debate: potential tax revenues versus the cost to taxpayers; whether it will harm or help local economies; the political benefits of stricter immigration policy versus a more liberal approach. ... Read more...
This week’s non-job, one of the 490 on offer this week, is another cheeky revenue raiser in local government. From Ealing Council, the non-job of the week will infuriate every motorist and taxpayer in the West London borough: “CCTV Enforcement Manager£35,982 - £37,725 pa inclusive You'll be responsible... Read more...
It was reported yesterday that the controversial ID cards scheme will be piloting in Manchester in the autumn. This, in spite of the fact that the scheme is estimated to cost billions per year, and is entirely unnecessary. Both main opposition parties have vowed to scrap the scheme, seeing it... Read more...
Councillors at disaster-prone Stoke-On-Trent City Council are the latest in the West Midlands to be enjoying a mid-recession pay rise, as the total bill for their allowances is set to hit almost £1million by 2011 (The Sentinel). The 31% increase over the next two years will see elected members... Read more...
After widespread outrage last week regarding the treatment of Ghurkha veterans (on which we blogged here), the Government felt humiliating defeat last Wednesday, Gordon Brown’s first since taking office. In what appears to be a rare victory for the democratic process, 27 Labour MPs voted against the Government (with a... Read more...
Yesterday some of our Worcester activists met to discuss issues in their local area, and to do some leafleting in the city centre. We’re now looking to have a TPA supporter responsible for each Worcestershire council, and though Wychavon is taken, the rest are still free so please do get... Read more...
To add to the Government’s current troubles, the National Audit Office yesterday released figures on the overpayments made by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) last year. Overall the DWP overpaid benefits by £588 million - out of a total of £106 billion – and although the DWP recovered... Read more...
An article in the Daily Mail today details the new primary school curriculum proposed by Education ministers. The curriculum would ensure that IT skills such as using internet search engines and emailing are given greater significance than in the past. Also, there will be ‘theme’ based lessons that will focus... Read more...
A week into feeling a lot poorer – thanks Darling – we see a rise in the number of local government jobs on offer compared to last week. With borrowing and debt reaching eye watering levels over the next few years, with our politicians talking of an age of austerity... Read more...
If ridiculous scaremongering reaction were a measure for the strength of a new idea, the Tories ought to be well pleased with their new plans for primary schools. Beverly Hughes, the Government Children's Minister, has described them as "highly dangerous", and Jim Knight, the Schools Minister, claimed the plans would... Read more...
Value for money seems to be ‘en vogue’ right now. But yet another official publication has demonstrated evidence of a lack thereof. A report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) published yesterday, looking into the Government’s £12billion spent on service contracts in 2007/08, and the further £240million spent on managing... Read more...
Yesterday saw the release of the Government’s new Equalities Bill. Under the new structures, all businesses and government bodies with more than 250 employees will be forced to reduce ‘workplace’ inequality by stating the average pay for their male and female employees (by 2013). Equalities Minister Harriet Harman stated that... Read more...