Almost two years ago, I presented a petition at a full council meeting in Hull. I was given the opportunity to speak for five minutes and then councillors had the opportunity to question me. Instead of questioning me on my petition asking for free on-street parking on Sundays in the... Read more...
With an election just over 18 months away, Nick Clegg is manoeuvring himself into yet another political minefield. The ‘Silk Commission’ published a report 10 months ago recommending that borrowing and tax raising powers should be devolved to the Welsh Government. All political parties in Wales support this as an... Read more...
TaxPayers' Alliance supporters took to the streets of Leigh-on-Sea yesterday as part of our 'Stamp Out Stamp Duty' campaign. Our arrival had been telegraphed in advance by a radio broadcast on Heart Radio earlier that morning, so many of the people we spoke to knew we would be there. Read more...
Last year we wrote about plans in Sunderland to build a so-called iconic bridge over the River Wear. Over the summer the dream finally came to an end. I say a dream, but many would say it was a pipe-dream and a nightmare, rolled into one. Read more...
Tax is in the news again thanks to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg's comments on the Andrew Marr Show about raising the personal allowance to match the minimum wage. And others at the Liberal Democrats' party conference have made less welcome suggestions, too, on a so-called 'mansion tax' and raising... Read more...
Somerset TPA supporters gathered on a chilly, windy morning at the Frome Agricultural & Cheese Show. Between dogs herding geese and parading livestock, we gathered 130 signatures from visitors to the show and farming trade stands urging the Chancellor to cut the Cider Duty Escalator that puts the price of... Read more...
Colchester Borough Council has paid £600,000 in Business Rates for its empty commercial properties, with some properties vacant for more than a decade. Local man Ben Locker sent a freedom of information request to the council and was shocked at what he found out. Read more...
During a report on BBC News yesterday, it was highlighted just how crippling Business Rates can be. Read more...
Responding to the report HS2 Regional Economic Impacts, Matthew Sinclair, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: Read more...
South Gloucestershire taxpayers are being given mixed messages by their council—and it is set to cost them £1.2m across the district. The council wants them to recycle their garden waste but wants to charge them £56 a year for picking it up. Read more...
TPA supporters hit the streets of Beverley last Saturday to talk to local people about our 'Stamp Out Stamp Duty' campaign. Many residents already knew about the campaign thanks to some great media coverage ahead of the campaign day. We were also supported by local estate agents who know first... Read more...
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report High Speed 2: a review of early programme preparation is a devastating critique of the flawed rail project. We have consistently campaigned against HS2 since it was first proposed.Our previous research has highlighted many of the issues mentioned in the PAC report including the weak business... Read more...
Last week the Telegraph reported that 5,000 patients being treated by the NHS had been put into hotels for overnight stays. Freedom of Information requests showed 21 trusts have spent £1.6 million since January 2012. Read more...
New research published today by the estate agency Knight Frank has revealed further weaknesses in the case for a new ‘Mansion Tax’. In 2012 Vince Cable proposed a levy of 1 per cent annually on properties valued at over £2 million. Politicians have suggested such a levy would raise between £1.7... Read more...
Estate Agents in the city of Bath have backed our campaign to cut Stamp Duty. Read more...
TPA supporters turned out on a stormy day in the heart of Essex in the county town of Chelmsford to tell the local residents about our 'Stamp out Stamp duty' campaign. Setting our stall beneath the grand statue of celebrated local lawyer, Sir Nicholas Tindal, in Tindal Square, we spoke... Read more...
Islington Council has certainly made a financial mess of its efforts to tackle dog fouling. It has disbanded its controversial ‘dog squad’ – the biggest in the country, it seems – after having spent some £240,000 in a three month period from May of last year. It had deployed 22 officers... Read more...
Media Wales recently highlighted the plight of 100 workers in one of Wales last major drift mines. The Unity Mine at Heol Wenallt, Cwmgwrach in Neath has in recent years been affected by the decline of the global price of coal, however any chance of salvation has been crushed by Neath... Read more...
Amid prize-winning bulls and horse jumping, South West TPA supporters gathered 360 signatures for our ‘Cut Cider Tax!’ petition at the Mid-Somerset Agricultural Show in Shepton Mallet. ‘They were very keen to sign our petition,’ said supporter Lucy Wildman. ‘We left the stand for a few minutes and they kept... Read more...
Last month we reported how Thanet Council had lost over £3 million as a result of the financial collapse of TransEuropa Ferries (TEF). The council is now facing fresh questions over its deal with the ferry company. Read more...
When Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was put into special measures, after the review carried out by NHS medical director, Sir Bruce Keogh, there were many who thought the position of chief executive, Karen Jackson, was untenable. Today it has been revealed that her reward for a... Read more...
South west taxpayers are still the losers when it comes to the money their councils unwisely invested in Icelandic banks before the crash of 2008. Somerset County Council placed £12m of their taxpayers’ money with the failed banks and is still owed £8.1m. Wiltshire County Council invested £12m and is... Read more...
Jobs are scarce in Hull, with dozens of people chasing each vacancy. Existing businesses and entrepreneurs who want to expand their operations and provide much needed employment need to be encouraged, and the council should be doing everything it can to make it easier for them. Read more...
Islington TPA supporters were out in force last Friday, setting up a stall on Islington Green to inform local residents about our ‘Stamp Out Stamp Duty’ campaign. Some 2,403 Islington residents have recently paid over the 3% rate when buying houses in the area, a total sum of £62,531,471 going... Read more...