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Today, the TPA team launches our latest campaign, Global Quangos Uncovered. From the World Health Organisation to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), global quangos exert significant influence over public policy. But how are these groups funded? How much of your money goes to pushing policies our elected representatives have little to no control over? Are taxpayers getting value for money? These are all questions our campaign seeks to answer.
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As our head of campaigns, Elliot Keck, explains in the video below: “For years, UK taxpayers have been pumping tens of billions of pounds into this worldwide bureaucracy where accountability is absent and democracy is in deficit.”
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TPA wonks have already been pouring over spreadsheets and have found that British taxpayers have been on the hook for at least £85 billion since 2009, with £5.6 billion handed over in 2021 alone! Much of this funding is funnelled through the UK’s foreign aid budget. When the 0.7 per cent aid spending target took effect in 2013, the bulk of the increase was given to global quangos.
Having splashed the front page last week with our findings that the UNHCR, which advised judges to rule against the government’s Rwanda plan, has received over £1 billion from UK taxpayers, our chief executive, John O’Connell, told Sunday Express readers in today’s coverage: “The cost and scale of the ‘quangocracy’ has been overlooked for too long.”
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TaxPayers' Alliance in the news
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TPA campaigning model endorsed by Guardian
On Friday, the TPA’s campaigning efforts received high praise from the Guardian. Crediting us as “spearheading” the campaign to put a stop to the reckless four-day week experiment in South Cambridgeshire before it spreads throughout the public sector. Our efforts, including the Stop the Clock-Off campaign and recent research, are described as a “key influence” behind new government efforts to crackdown on the dodgy schemes.
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They also took a moment to remind readers that we take the privacy of donors extremely seriously and protect the identities of those who choose to help our work, people like you.
Dismantling the arguments of those supporting the trial, Elliot said: “Claims that services have improved barely stand up to scrutiny, while savings have been exaggerated at best.”
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Further fiscal drag
We’ve frequently warned against the punishing effects of stealth tax rises on hard-working Brits. When it emerged that 1.5 million more people will be pulled into higher tax brackets thanks to threshold freezes than ministers expected, we were straight out of the blocks to blast the latest hammerblow to households.
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Our media campaign manager, Conor Holohan, spoke for Britain when he told the Daily Telegraph: “Stealth taxes are chewing up the income of more Brits than previously thought and are contributing to a fall in living standards. The Government should give household budgets a break and raise thresholds in line with inflation.”
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Worrying times for Woking residents
Following Woking council issuing a section 114 notice and effectively declaring bankruptcy after racking up £1.2 billion of debt, our digital campaign manager, Joe Ventre, took to TalkRadio to call out councils playing monopoly with their ratepayers’ money.
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In a wide ranging conversation with Petrie Hosken, Joe told listeners: “It’s one thing when you’re playing with your own money, when you’re putting your own money at risk but of course these council management teams are putting taxpayers’ money at risk.” Town hall bosses must rein in these dodgy investment schemes that will leave residents paying the price for decades to come!
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Costly consultants
With NHS consultants set to go on strike in a couple of weeks, the TPA team were shocked to learn that some senior medics are raking in almost half-a-million quid!
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As TPA researcher, Jonathan Eida, rightly told Mail readers across the country: “Consultants enjoy pay and perks that most people can only dream of. Taxpayers expect well remunerated medics to be treating patients, not playing politics.” Hear hear!
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What the Resolution Foundation gets wrong, and right, about tax
After the Resolution Foundation published a report on how to reform the tax system, veteran wonk and TPA research fellow, Rory Meakin, has delved into the details and exposed the shortcomings of its proposals.
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As Rory explains, “in setting their remit as being resigned to permanent spending profligacy and burdensome tax levels” it is perhaps no wonder that their conclusions are “mostly good, but only just about.” You can read Rory’s assessment in full here.
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Whilst it’s often important for ministers and other officials to attend overseas conferences and events, as in all other decisions, keeping costs down and securing value for money for taxpayers should be a key consideration. Unfortunately, some politicians north of the border don't seem to agree.
Nicola Sturgeon and other officials ran up a bill for taxpayers of neary £150,000 when they attended the COP27 summit, including a night in Italy and two weeks at a luxury resort in Sharm El Sheikh. Officials at all levels of government must get a grip on these expensive excursions and place stricter limits on spending abroad!
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Benjamin Elks
Operations Manager
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