End of the line?
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HS2 on life support
Ministers inched ever closer to pulling the plug on HS2 Phase B this week, with guarantees only given that the first part, from London to Birmingham, would be built. The chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, who was in government when it was launched, rightly said that costs are “totally out of control ([link removed]) .” The first leg alone is currently forecast to cost a whopping £35-45 billion ([link removed].) , up from a predicted £17.1 billion when it began. We did warn them. We predicted right back in 2011 ([link removed]) that the first leg would cost a total of… £45 billion. Credit to our researchers, not so much to ministers.
Our team took to the airwaves, leaving the country in no doubt what we think: it’s time to bring an end to this sorry project once and for all. Speaking to Kevin O’Sullivan on TalkTV, our media campaign manager Conor Holohan slammed the number of HS2 staff earning six figure salaries, channelling the hopes of taxpayers that “some of these people on these ridiculous pay deals see a reduction in these salaries.”
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While we may soon be able to declare a partial victory on HS2, there is no doubt that another hugely wasteful project will be on the way soon. When it does, we will ensure taxpayers have a voice in the debate. But we need your help.
You can support the work of the TPA by clicking here to donate ([link removed])
Stop the council cover-up
After we dramatically revealed emails proving that the South Cambridgeshire District Council had been allowed to edit a report by the Bennett Institute into its 4 day week experiment, the original draft of the report was finally released. The results were damning.
Multiple sections were removed from the report in a clear attempt to make the document more positive. In one of the most damning edits, a quote from a manager at the council was removed which said the trial had a “very negative impact on my well-being” and that she only turned a corner when she accepted “we don’t always have to deliver perfect work.” Our head of campaigns Elliot Keck has a helpful thread ([link removed]) detailing the edits.
And in news that broke overnight, levelling up secretary Michael Gove revealed plans ([link removed]) to ban 4 day week experiments in local councils. The devil will be in the detail, but this could be a huge win for residents and local taxpayers.
Follow our campaign here. ([link removed])
TaxPayers' Alliance in the news
Sick note Britain
The Chartered Institute of Personnel recently revealed that the average public sector took almost twice as much sick leave as their private sector colleagues over the past year. A recent TPA investigation ([link removed]) even revealed that civil servants take thousands of sick days without producing a doctor’s note.
In a hard-hitting op-ed in the Daily Mail ([link removed]) , TPA chief executive John O’Connell spoke for the nation: “Sick note Britain is hobbling our economy, making public services unnecessarily expensive and forcing up the tax burden.”
Painting a pretty picture?
We learned this week that Downing Street’s art and antiques collection has nearly doubled in value and is now worth almost £10 million. While this is good news, with the cost of government departments soaring, we should question whether holding onto this collection is worthwhile.
In an op-ed for GB News, Conor rightly makes clear that enough is enough ([link removed]) : “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!
Killjoy council
When Sefton Council showed fun the red card and slapped a ban on kicking leather footballs at a local school, we were on hand to slam their misplaced priorities.
TPA researcher Jonathan Eida told the Daily Star: “Taxpayers are fed up with meddling officials going hell-for-leather enforcing pointless rules.”
Blog of the week
Bleak outlook for taxpayers ahead of Conservative Party Conference
As Conservative Party Conference approaches, we learn from the Institute for Fiscal Studies that taxes are heading for an all time high, Conor writes.
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Unfortunately for worried taxpayers, despite his three predecessors attending TPA events at conference over the last few years, there will be one notable absence at Think Tent in Manchester: Jeremy Hunt.
As Conor explains: “The direction of travel has been concerning for taxpayers, as outlined by the IFS’s report, and it would have been an opportunity for Hunt to give some indication of his priorities and the level of his commitment to cutting waste.”
Click to read this blog in full ([link removed])
TPA at Conservative Party Conference
Speaking of conference, if you’re in Manchester please come and join us in the ThinkTent, where TPA staff and guests will be discussing the key issues facing the country across multiple days of events.
We will be discussing free speech, how to drive growth, experiments in local government, foreign aid and much, much more. We hope to see you there!
Check out the full schedule of events here ([link removed])
Benjamin Elks
Operations Manager
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