Paying more and more for less and less seems the mantra now for local council services. South Gloucestershire MP Chris Skidmore took his campaign against a new ‘stealth tax’ launched by his local council to the Houses of Parliament. He spoke in the House of Commons against recent green refuse... Read more...
Yesterday marked a busy day on the War on Waste Roadshow, stopping off to spread the word four times as we made our way north to Newcastle. Read more...
This morning the War on Waste roadshow rolled up at the High Street at Leicester. We pitched up at the end near the site where the council has recently knocked down a car-park in order to build a new town square. Here we drew attention to unnecessary spending such as... Read more...
The War on Waste moved on this afternoon, taking in the centre of Nottingham as well as the constituency offices of both Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband. Read more...
Following yesterday morning's visit to Harlow, the War on Waste roadshow called in at Ipswich and Peterborough as Saturday moved along. In Ipswich we pitched up outside the council offices to draw attention to unnecessary spending such as Suffolk Council’s chief executive splashing out £1,500 for a photograph portfolio. We... Read more...
Our War on Waste roadshow made its first stop at Harlow earlier today. We met up with local supporters in the town centre to tell people how the Government and Harlow and Essex councils are wasting money. Money that should be left in local people’s pockets by cutting Council Tax,.... Read more...
I wrote for City AM this morning on the Public Accounts Committee report and merging National Insurance with Income Tax: JUST days after the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee published a damning report, describing tax authorities as “unable to cope” with the number and complexity of UK tax reliefs,... Read more...
Chancellor George Osborne will unveil plans to merge National Insurance with Income Tax in the manifesto for the general election. He also came "within a whisker" of implementing the reform in Budget 2014, according to reports in the Times and the Independent. This is great news and comes not a... Read more...
West Country local supporters gathered for our latest War on Waste action day on historic Plymouth Hoe next to Smeaton’s Tower lighthouse. Read more...
Shocking new research conducted by our team over recent months demonstrates that Britain’s local authorities have long-term liabilities of more than £180bn, saddling future generations with today's debt burden. Read more...
The Commons Public Accounts Committee chaired by Margaret Hodge MP has published a report drawing attention to the use of reliefs in the tax system as a tool of government policy. The report slammed the tax authorities as: Read more...
Public finances data released this morning shows continued but slow improvement in the state of government accounts. Read more...
Today saw yet another blow for potential homeowners in Britain with news that the Government collected almost £1 billion more from home buyers in Stamp Duty in 2013-14 than it did in the previous year. Read more...
Sir Peter Bazalgette, the chair of the Arts Council England, yesterday told a Centre for Policy Studies conference that the Government should continue give taxpayers' cash to his organisation because the money is necessary to spend on 'risky' art projects. Read more...
Thanet District Council in Kent has come under pressure to issue a compulsory purchase order (CPO) for local Manston Airport, which closed on 15th May, with the loss of 144 jobs. This marks a low point in the airport’s recent turbulent history, which had seen it host a James Bond... Read more...
Fury continues to grow at Salisbury Council’s lack of coordinated thinking when it comes to encouraging shoppers into the city centre. With occupancy rates of less than 25 per cent at its Culver Street car park, the council have been reduced to slashing the price of parking there and now... Read more...
Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) chairman Maurice Saatchi has called for small businesses to be exempt from Corporation Tax and investments in small businesses to be exempt from Capital Gains Tax. The policy is being launched at their Liberty 2014 conference to mark the group's 40th anniversary. Read more...
Earlier today, the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) held its second evidence session on the ‘Accountability of Quangos and Public Bodies’. Our Chief Executive Jonathan Isaby gave evidence as a witness. Read more...
I was fortunate enough this week to spend a sunny morning outdoors, and doing the best thing one can do outdoors: hitting the pavements to spread awareness of our latest campaign War on Waste. Read more...
The Government’s Efficiency and Reform Group this week revealed progress in tackling wasteful spending, finding an additional £14.3bn in savings for the 2013/14 financial year. This builds on savings of £3.75bn (2010/11), £5.5bn (2011/12) and £10bn (2012/13). Read more...
Taxpayers' anger at the wasteful ways of parish councils has reached a peak in West Yorkshire. Read more...
Nick Clegg announced two new fiscal rules that Liberal Democrats would implement should they form a new coalition after the 2015 General Election. Read more...
Local supporters and our TPA action team gathered outside the historic Guildhall in Chard in southern Somerset for a War on Waste action day. We handed out leaflets and chatted to passers-by about cutting waste in local government expenditure. Read more...
A tiny room in Islington crammed with a kitchenette, dining table, wardrobe and double bed has hit the headlines due to its advertised rent of £170 per week. The alarmingly cramped appearance of the room combined with the high rent has been described as "sickeningly small" by Huffington Post and... Read more...