Perhaps we shouldn’t bother…

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The ungrateful bureaucracy
How much is enough? That’s the question the TPA team asked ourselves this week. ([link removed]) It certainly feels like no matter how much money the government chucks at something, there’s always someone on hand to claim it’s not enough. So with the UK supposedly so niggardly and potentially “violating its international human rights obligations”, we’ve looked at the facts and it certainly seems like we pay our fair share.
As part of our Global Quangos Uncovered ([link removed]) campaign, TPA researchers looked at some of the claims from leading quangocrats and politicians ([link removed]) and called out the nonsense assertions. From aid and clean water to green initiatives and benefit spending, the doomsters seem to love downplaying and undermining the UK’s efforts.

In 2021 the UN’s Office for Humanitarian Affairs claimed temporarily reducing foreign aid to 0.5 per cent of GNI rather than 0.7 per cent was “tarnishing and diminishing the UK in the wider world.” Of course what they failed to say was that we remained the fifth largest aid spender on the planet 2022. Indeed, spending actually increased to $16.8 billion! You can read our findings in full here. ([link removed])
Our chief executive, John O’Connell, certainly didn't mince his words: “Taxpayers are sick of paying billions into the coffers of the global quangocracy with no gratitude in return.” As Brits struggle with a 70 year high tax burden and a cost of living crisis, it’s high time their generosity was given the recognition it deserves.

You can back the TPA’s fight for taxpayers by clicking here to donate ([link removed])
Stop the clock off
With more council leaders signing our pledge ruling out dodgy four-day week experiments in their areas, our team hit the road to pay a visit to one of those refusing to do so.

Arriving in Welwyn Garden City, home to Welwyn Hatfield borough council, the TPA pitched up outside the town hall. Local council leader, Paul Zukowskyj, branded the idea that his staff should work full-time “populist right wing nonsense.”
Unsurprisingly, local residents didn’t seem to share his views. Handing out leaflets and speaking to locals, our team urged taxpayers to demand their council focus on maintaining vital services ([link removed]) and back our pledge to rule out a part-time council.

The failing trial in South Cambridgeshire ([link removed]) shows just how damaging four-day weeks can be for residents reliant on services. If you’ve not already done so, be sure to use our tool to urge your council leader to sign the pledge ([link removed]) !
TaxPayers' Alliance in the news
Shirking from home?

Following our revelations last week that hundreds of council staff have been given permission to work from abroad ([link removed]) , our head of campaigns, Elliot Keck, joined Andrew Doyle on GB News ([link removed]) to discuss the findings in detail.
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Speaking live from the studio ([link removed]) , Elliot explained: “I’m not sure it’s the best thing for taxpayers… if you take a local council, you need people in that local council to understand the issues of their area and you need them in the office to know they’re actually picking up the phones.” Quite right!
The globalisation of sin taxes

Nannying policies have been a policy feature for governments of all colours for many years. Using the tax system to punish people making the ‘wrong’ choice is nothing new (think sugar, alcohol, and tobacco taxes). But little thought is given to the influence of international bodies ([link removed]) pushing these policies and spreading them across the world.
In an important op-ed for the Critic ([link removed]) , our policy analyst, Tom Ryan, has examined the role of the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), pushing sin taxes across the globe. As Tom says: “The FCTC is a perfect example of the misguided nature of a far-too-powerful and unaccountable global quangocracy. While costless solutions to health problems caused by tobacco smoking present themselves, the WHO remains committed to promoting — and crucially, extending — sin taxes which punish the poor worldwide.”
London ambulance service’s lost tablets

Since 2020, the London ambulance service (LAS) has spent £3,315,475 on 6,857 iPads. TPA analysis has shown that LAS staff managed to lose 70 of them in just three months ([link removed]) in 2021 / 2022 and more than 400 in 2022/23.
TPA researcher, Jonathan Eida, called out the medics misplacing tablets ([link removed]) when he told GB News: “Staff must take better care of expensive tech and remember who is paying for it.” Spot on.
Blog of the week
Aid to the Palestinian Authority: what is the foreign office trying to hide?

This week’s blog ([link removed]) is guest written by Jeremy Havardi, director of B'nai B'rith ([link removed]) . Jeremy explores the role taxpayers’ money is playing in supporting the Palestinian Authority (PA) and why the foreign office are so reluctant to talk about it.
The Palestinian Authority has a notorious scheme whereby it pays Palestinian terrorists locked up for murdering Israelis monthly stipends, with the level of the stipend linked to how many were killed and how many family members the terrorist has.

Yet the FCDO cannot provide cast iron guarantees that taxpayers' money is not being redirected into this scheme. Jeremy argues: “The manner in which FCDO civil servants are fighting against being subjected to basic scrutiny is truly shocking, and a matter which should be of concern to all.” There are clearly questions to be answered and it’s high time foreign office officials came clean.

Click to read this fascinating blog in full ([link removed])
War on Waste
Having hiked council tax by 5 per cent ([link removed]) earlier this year, you might think councillors in Edinburgh would be striving to make sure every single penny was being spent providing vital services to ratepayers.

Sadly, that doesn’t seem to be the case ([link removed]) . Councillors and officials are set to shell out £2,000 on a “hot fork buffet” at the expense of residents. Local taxpayers will be left with a bad taste in the mouth from this latest extravagance.

Send me your examples of wasteful public sector spending (mailto:[email protected]?subject=Wasteful%20spending)

Benjamin Elks
Operations Manager

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