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The big political news this week came in the form of Rishi Sunak relaxing some of his government’s more unrealistic net zero targets and deadlines. A decade, and three prime ministers, on from David Cameron’s infamous call to “get rid of the green cr*p”, are ministers finally giving hard pressed taxpayers the breathing space they need?
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Postponing the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars until 2035 and exempting some households from the oil and gas boiler ban are certainly welcome moves. Likewise, finally ruling out absurd policies like a meat tax and enforced car sharing is not to be sniffed at. As we’ve seen before with other green initiatives, they often hit those on the lowest incomes hardest.
Highlighting the costs facing households, our chief executive, John O’Connell, said: “Families and businesses want solutions to the real problem of climate change that go beyond asking them to dig ever deeper into shrinking pockets.”
TPA media campaign manager, Conor Holohan, followed up this message when he took to the airwaves and spoke to LBC listeners across the country: “People who are struggling to make ends meet will welcome these measures… With measures like ULEZ and the petrol and diesel car ban, people who have the least money are the people who most struggle to make that change.”
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These measures are certainly welcome, but the costs involved for reaching net zero by 2050 remain staggeringly high. Another policy announced by Sunak was an increase in the grant available to households to install a heat pump to ÂŁ7,500. Even under the previous ÂŁ5,000 grant, TPA researchers estimated that this could cost taxpayers a whopping ÂŁ115 billion, a figure that is now set to climb.
However noble an ambition net zero may be, unless ministers come clean on the cost of green, they’ll struggle to bring taxpayers with them.
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TaxPayers' Alliance in the news
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Boat bonus
Despite making “stopping the boats” one of his five pledges, it emerged this week that the bill for housing migrants crossing the channel has hit a massive £8 million a day! And to top it off, the bureaucrat running the border force received a £5k bonus (presumably not for a job well done…)
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Speaking for the nation, John told Sun readers: “While workers grapple with a 70-year high tax burden, the government is paying eye-watering sums for migrant hotels. Ministers must get to grips with the system to bring these costs down.”
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Council vanity projects
As regular readers will know, we at the TPA are no fans of councils behaving badly. One of our big bugbears are town halls splashing their ratepayers’ cash on dodgy pet projects.
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In an op-ed for GB News, Conor rightly makes clear that enough is enough: “Cutting back on vanity projects and top brass salaries… That’s a far less risky avenue than gambling with services and borrowing money on heady ideas.” Hear, hear!
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Subsidising cycle charity
With sky high spending, and a mega tax burden to pay for it, you might think ministers were focussing money on front line services which deliver for taxpayers. Naturally, there was outrage in the TPA office when we learnt that ÂŁ92 million has been doled out to cycling charity Sustrans who subsequently lobby for low traffic neighbourhoods.
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Our digital campaigns manager, Joe Ventre, blasted: “Brits wonder why their money is funding controversial campaigns… Government should focus funds on taxpayers’ priorities.” It’s high time ministers put a stop to taxpayer funded lobbying once and for all!
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A car-free world would be a nightmare, not a dream
Friday was World Car Free Day (yes, that’s actually a thing), so to mark the occasion Howard Cox, founder of the FairFuelUK campaign and Reform candidate for London Mayor, guest wrote this week’s blog.Â
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Howard takes us through the ongoing war on motorists waged by successive governments and taxpayer-funded lobby groups. From low traffic neighbourhoods and congestion charges to ULEZ and 20 mph zones, car drivers face a myriad of fees and restrictions.Â
As Howard explains: “This perennial demonisation and exploitation of drivers must be reversed. National and local political administrations should recognise that the motorist is the commercial and social heartbeat of any economy. Some may dream of car-free streets, but they should be reminded of the old adage - be careful what you wish for.”
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Councils doing the right thing and looking to reduce their costs will always get a well done from the TPA, but shelling out over £250,000 to work out how to do it won’t fly.
That’s the story of Conwy county council who have somehow decided they need to spend £255,000 before they can know whether to close one of their offices to save money. Ratepayers expect town hall bosses to focus funds on services, not costly consultations!
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Benjamin Elks
Operations Manager
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