The days may be dark this time of year but a ray of light shone through this week and it’s good news for taxpayers across the country.
At the TPA, we’re committed to fighting for taxpayers no matter how big or small the issue. From national insurance and inheritance tax increases to wasteful spending and councils behaving badly, we’re on your side.
You may recall that a couple of months ago, we released some research on what some might regard as a niche topic… the proliferation of council bins. As we revealed, some local authorities like Blaenau Gwent, Cotswold and Merthyr Tydfil issue ten different bins for their residents to sort rubbish into whilst Gosport makes do with just two.
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At the time, our chief executive, John O’Connell, made it absolutely clear why this issue matters: “Councils across the UK are placing an enormous burden on households through the often mind-bogglingly complex system of waste separation. Bin collections is one of the key services that taxpayers are funding, yet in much of the country it’s the residents themselves responsible for much of the heavy-lifting.”
Fortunately, it looks like someone in the department for environment, food, and rural affairs pays attention to our research as ministers have now announced plans to make councils cap the number of bins they issue at four.
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With perfect timing, TPA wonk, Jonathan Eida, penned a piece for the Times, issuing a passionate defence of weekly bin collections and leaving readers in little doubt that charging extra for them is completely unacceptable: “The phrase “taxed enough already” has no better use than describing our relationship with local councils. The idea that we ought to pay an additional charge for what was always considered a core service from local authorities is simply absurd.” Have a full read here.
Tackling the big issues affecting taxpayers will always be top of our priority list, but the little niggles that all levels of government impose on our lives shouldn’t be ignored. We might not have had much good to say of this government so far but credit where it’s due, in this case, common sense has prevailed.
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The latest episode of our new podcast, a nation of taxpayers, was released on Thursday and, this week, we were joined by columnist and investigative journalist, Charlotte Gill. If her name sounds familiar, it might be because she also runs the Woke Waste account on X - a kindred spirit of the TPA if ever there was one.
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Joining podcast host, Duncan Barkes, and our media campaign manager, William Yarwood, the conversation covers everything from trusting Rachel Reeves to lobsters of all things. You certainly don’t want to miss this one.
You can listen and subscribe to a nation of taxpayers on Apple Podcasts and Spotify by clicking below 👇
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TaxPayers' Alliance in the news
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The kids aren’t alright
We all know Rachel Reeves’ budget put businesses squarely in the crosshairs but combined with Labour’s new employment rights bill, both employers and those looking for work look set to suffer.
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Writing in City A.M., our head of campaigns, Elliot Keck, explains why younger people and those without much work experience have become a much riskier bet for companies. Despite Liz Kendall’s plan to get young people back to work, Elliot writes: “She will fail because her colleagues have launched an almighty assault on businesses – the likes of which the country hasn’t seen for decades. And it will be young people who are the collateral.” Give it a read here.
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Or maybe they are…
When our researcher, Callum McGoldrick, headed to York university to argue against the generational tobacco ban, you would be forgiven for thinking he would be arguing for a lost cause. And when the entrance poll showed 60 per cent of those voting in favour of the ban, it looked like it would be a long night.
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Writing for CapX this week, Callum took us through the arguments he and Chris Snowdon of the Institute of Economic Affairs made that won over the students and gave them a hearty 57 - 43 per cent victory. From the criminality that follows prohibition to the economic illiteracy and restriction on individual choice, the generational ban is an absurd proposal that has no place on the statute book. As Callum notes: “Smokers cost the NHS about £3 billion per year and tobacco taxes alone raise £9bn, meaning it doesn’t take an economist to see that smoking is good for the public finances. Given the Chancellor’s sterling credentials and her concern about fiscal black holes, perhaps that leaves some hope that she may vote against the ban too.” You can read Callum’s piece here.
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SNPayday
Most people in Scotland will have been tightening their belts in response to the SNPs tax hikes, it seems that ministers in Holyrood have an idea of how to spend that extra cash… by awarding themselves a pay rise.
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John gave the plans both barrels, telling Scottish Express readers: “Taxpayers north of the Border are faced with a government that imposes a higher tax burden and more nanny state policies than in England. Yet its politicians are now seeking to fill their pockets. Pay rises for Ministers should be linked to clear performance metrics, such as an increase in GDP or a fall in the tax burden.”
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The UK government should stand up to global quangos, not bow down to them
This week’s blog comes to us from Jeremy Havardi, director of B'nai B'rith, who takes a look at the role of the International Criminal Court, its controversial decision to issue an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, and how much British taxpayers are paying for the privilege.
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As Jeremy argues: “The ICC, like the EU, is just another example of a compromised, supranational institution that arbitrarily rides roughshod over sovereign nations and their legal systems. Moreover, it is one that British taxpayers are forced to fund. In 2017, the UK’s contribution cost taxpayers £8.9 million and in 2023, it paid £10.5 million to the ICC annual budget, as well as a £1 million special contribution.”
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We’re all familiar with local councils finding new and ingenious ways to waste money but it’s rarely so literal as the latest example from Westminster council.
In a move that really takes the mickey (I had a more appropriate word there but the editor said ‘no’), bosses at Westminster splashed out over £800 on entries for ‘Loo of the year’ award. Town hall bigwigs must show taxpayers’ money the respect it deserves and stop pouring it down the drain
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Benjamin Elks
Grassroots Development Manager
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