In what looks – from the outside – like another effort to burn a bit of time and cash, the Birmingham Mail has announced today that Sandwell Council and Sandwell Multi-Faith Network are to launch a much needed (ahem!) ‘faith trail’ around the borough tomorrow. Looking at the PDF... Read more...
Mr Brown keeps telling us Armageddon arrived out of a clear blue sky, and it's all the fault of those damned Americans. Does anyone actually believe that?Many people have long been warning about how much debt we've run up over the last decade, and how there would have to be... Read more...
I'm pleased to report that - announced under the cover of the Icelandic banks fiasco - the TPA had an encouraging success yesterday, that saved taxpayers £20,000 in one fell swoop. Regular readers may recall Andrea Hill, the Suffolk County Council Chief Executive appointed controversially on a huge £220,000... Read more...
In the space of a day something incredible happened: taxpayer distrust of local government hit a new low as it was revealed, with each drip of information a new smack to council credibility, that dozens of councils had invested considerable amounts of your money in failing Icelandic banks. After... Read more...
The news has been all over the media today about the tens - and potentially hundreds - of millions of pounds that local councils may have lost in Icelandic banks. As you might expect, the TPA has been out and about representing the taxpayers' point of view. There are... Read more...
Within the modern political lexicon the term 'guidelines' is a particular favourite. These aren't orders,but if they aren't obeyed ... well ... there's the door. Guidelines are the distillation of the government's infinite wisdom, the hand gently (but firmly) steering the unenlightened in the right direction. Ed Balls, Secretary... Read more...
In one of the latest examples of government failures, the Government admitted yesterday that nearly 111,000 students have yet to have their applications for Education Maintenance Allowance processed. These grants exist to help underprivileged 16 to 18 year old students to stay enrolled in classes and a classic case of... Read more...
Tony Benn in his diaries talks of a 40-year rule. Every 40 years, give or take, there are political events that change the face of British politics. The repeal of the Corn Laws in the 1840s split the Tories, a rump of which joined with the Whigs to form the... Read more...
Download the full paper (PDF) The TaxPayers' Alliance today publishes a new briefing paper on the financial crisis, which forms the basis of our response to the bail out plan and which we hope will be of use to journalists reporting the issue. The briefing also outlines several ways in... Read more...
The TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) today criticised the Government for using taxpayers' money as an easy way out, and urged them to explore other solutions that would limit the amount of our money at risk. With taxpayers' money on the line, the TPA demands guarantees that our money will not be... Read more...
Our non-job of the week, one of the 681 on offer in government today, is a swipe at the quangocracy governing our nation without democratic accountability. From the Improvement and Development Agency: “Regional Associate£100,000 – more for an exceptional candidate As a regional associate, you will be the... Read more...
Cllr Stephen McLoughlin – who awarded himself a 34% pay increase this year whilst creating a £2.4million over spend – has replied to conservative criticism on ConservativeHome in relation to his council’s overspending we blogged about here. Let’s fisk it: SM: Bournemouth Borough Council is a unitary authority with... Read more...
The Birmingham Post reported today that a city councillor, Martin Mullaney, wants a scruntiny committee to quiz union representatives to see whether they give value for money when carrying out their duties, after discovering through the Freedom of Information Act that such reps cost local taxpayers £1.4m. Mullaney quite... Read more...
At the Conservative Party Conference, The Freedom Association ran an excellent installation on the conference fringe called The Freedom Zone, a centre for free speech (and free bacon sandwiches!) with a great series of fringe meetings. One of those meetings, organised by the Selsdon Group, on Freedom from High Taxes... Read more...
Let's hope Darling's read the book If today's reports are to be believed, the government is all set to inject £50bn of taxpayers' money into bank equity. It's being trailed as taking a leaf out of Warren Buffett's book, the legendary superstar of investment who "saved" Goldman Sachs by putting... Read more...
TPA activist Bruce Lawson has emailed over a letter he found in his local paper (click to enlarge). A concerned taxpayer has gone through his council’s job site to see what exactly is on offer. What a good idea that is to expose the true cost of local government!... Read more...
With the government's poor record on losing data and throwing good money after bad, it came as somewhat of a surprise this morning to learn that the Home Office has funded the first stage of a plan to introduce a new £12 billion scheme to monitor all emails and calls,... Read more...
In the middle of a financial crisis, business tax may not seem like the most important issue, but politicians should ignore it at their peril. Today's FT reports warnings by the chief executive of WPP, which recently moved its tax domicile to Ireland, that more companies will create new holding... Read more...
First there was public execration at local councils fining people for dropping sausage roll crumbs. Then there was uproar as town hall busybodies used anti-terrorist legislation to snoop on dog walkers. These two incredible encroachments into individual private space resembled an overwhelming show of force from the state. Now... Read more...
South West Surrey Organiser Peter Webb gives us his September campaign diary. A big thanks to him for all his hard work which we appreciate so very much: Backed by Anne Milton MP we had attempted to get into dialogue, similar to that operating with Surrey CC, with all... Read more...
The Libertarian blogger Torybear guest blogs here on the big-brother state: Now I’m not a regular reader of any local paper but when this little advertisement was drawn to my attention I had to frame a copy. This is a new low in the nanny state’s control over... Read more...
Your very own grassroots coordinator went to two conferences this year, the UK Independence Party Conference and the Conservative Party Conference to preach the virtues of a low tax society (as well as signing up new supporters to the campaign). UKIP gave the TPA an opportunity to make a... Read more...
With Sir Ian Blair's resignation there have been a flurry of accusations - most notably from the Home Secretary - that he was pushed for "political reasons" by the Mayor, and criticisms of policing being a political issue. No doubt this is meant to sound like a condemnation, but is... Read more...
Labour's spendaholism must be reversed At the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham George Osborne announced his abandonment of fiscal rules. Instead, he will establish an "arms length" quango to monitor public borrowing and debt, and blow the whistle if the situation looks like it might be unsustainable. Unfortunately, that will... Read more...