We may only be a couple of weeks into 2025 but that hasnât stopped our researchers crunching the numbers on what your taxes are being spent on.
In analysis released exclusively with the Daily Mail, the TPA wonks exposed the madness of taxpayersâ cash being funnelled to charity-cum-lobby group, Stonewall.
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Regular readers may well be familiar with the TPAâs exposĂ©s of your money going towards Stonewallâs highly controversial diversity champions scheme, which told schools to stop referring to pupils as boys and girls. Thanks to TPA campaigning, many government bodies have now withdrawn from the diversity champions scheme but it looks like ministers and bureaucrats have simply decided to give grants to Stonewall instead. Stonewallâs total income from government sources increased in 2023-24 to a whopping ÂŁ618,757! As private donations fall, Stonewall has become increasingly reliant on taxpayers.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, John OâConnell, our chief executive, blasted: âTaxpayers will be shocked that the state is effectively paying to prop up a charity that has gone increasingly rogue in its agenda. For years Stonewall has been attempting to drag swathes of the public sector into uncharted waters which most of the British public want to go nowhere near, yet itâs been receiving taxpayersâ money to further its demands.â
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When the broadcasters got wind of the news, the TPAâs media campaign manager, William Yarwood, was more than happy to go out and bat for hard pressed Brits. Speaking to GB News, William told viewers across the country: âGovernment grants keep going up and government bodies are now just simply giving them free cash to carry on their activities.â
Lobby groups receiving taxpayersâ money is simply unacceptable. Ministers looking to save cash could do a lot worse than cracking down on this kind of spending where controversial charities get cash and subsequently use part of it to lobby policymakers. Itâs time to stop this ridiculous practice, starting with Stonewall.
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We were delighted to be joined by Sir John Redwood for the latest episode of a nation of taxpayers. A former adviser to Lady Thatcher and secretary of state for Wales, Sir John has been a lifelong campaigner for lower taxes and improved government efficiency.
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Joining William and podcast host Duncan Barkes, Sir John outlines his thoughts about getting the economy back on track and the current state of UK politics. He also talks fondly and candidly about his time advising Lady Thatcher. Be sure to give it a listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
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TaxPayers' Alliance in the news
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DWP bonuses
Just as taxpayers across the country are tightening their belts, bureaucrats in the department for work and pensions have been toasting a bonus bonanza. Nearly ÂŁ12 million was doled out to civil servants responsible for, among other things, over half a billion pounds being lost in fraud and error. One mandarin raked in a mega ÂŁ14,000 bonus!
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Our head of campaigns, Elliot Keck, was furious and raged to the Telegraph: âThese bonuses for bumbling bureaucrats are wildly unjustified given the catastrophic levels of fraud and error on DWPâs watch⊠Labour should put a stop to these rewards for failure and ensure that any future bonuses are based on a genuine improvement in results.â
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Loony licence plate plan
This one really is a classic of the genre. With their finances in trouble, East Renfrewshire council are looking to raise some extra cash by flogging off their personalised number plate âHS0â to none other than Harry Styles. Just one problem, after two years he doesnât seem to be interested.
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Naturally, John was quick to highlight the real problem here when he spoke to the Sun: âThe pointless PR stunt is looking more and more ridiculous with each passing day. Town hall bosses are desperately looking to raise a quick buck, rather than focusing on the challenging issue of trimming budgets.âÂ
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Five hospitals for five per cent
With the bill for public sector pensions now exceeding the whole of the UK economy, new TPA analysis has revealed that cutting it by just five per cent would save enough to build five new hospitals or resurface every motorway in the country.Â
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Speaking to the Telegraph, Darwin Friend, our head of research, hit the nail on the head: âThe flabbergasting cost of public sector pensions is an enormous millstone around the neck of the state, taking away billions that could be put to much better use⊠Itâs time for the Government to radically reform public sector pensions by moving all new employees onto a defined contribution scheme, rather than gold-plated defined benefit schemes.â
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It's time to come clean about migration data
In this weekâs blog, William writes about the importance of transparency for government, and in particular why itâs so needed for the ongoing debates around migration.
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William rightly notes that: âWhile the government churns out endless reports on trivialities like the gender pay gaps in Whitehall departments, data on the effects of mass migration remains conspicuously absent. This lack of transparency undermines public trust and stifles informed debate, leaving us all poorer for it.â Have a read of Williamâs blog in full here.
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The Tories may have been out of office for more than six months now but tales of their waste continue to seep out.Â
This week we learnt that ministers cracked open a 100 year old bottle of cognac, valued at ÂŁ1,500, in the dying days of the last administration to " celebrate" the centenary of the government wine cellar. Perhaps itâs time to assess whether the collection really represents value for money for taxpayers. |
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Benjamin Elks
Grassroots Development Manager
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