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One last chance
It all comes down to this. Two and a half years later, the four-day week experiment in South Cambridgeshire will finally be put to a vote of full council.

A three month trial which was extended again and again with no democratic consent was finally put to a public consultation at the beginning of this year and the results have just been published. In what can have been a surprise to no one except those pushing the scheme, the residents of South Cambridgeshire took a rather dim view of this not-so-bright idea.
You may recall that the TPA team were pounding the streets of South Cambridgeshire earlier this year, urging local residents to respond to the consultation. Hundreds of council taxpayers in the area took up our call and told the council exactly what they thought of the absurd situation. Two years after starting they finally thought to get the views of locals.

The results are damning. Out of 13 services monitored, local people said 9 of them had deteriorated with 4 remaining the same. None had improved. Local businesses were also unimpressed. Of ten services they were asked about, four stayed the same, one got worse and five didn’t receive a response.
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From the first whistle the council has used every dodgy trick in the book to avoid scrutiny, ignore residents and block local councillors from voting on the matter. If you need a quick reminder, we produced a timeline of the scandal ([link removed]) . And while the majority of staff at the council are in favour of the four-day week (try to contain your shock), this letter from a whistleblower ([link removed]) makes the downsides crystal clear.
As soon as the results were published and the council confirmed it was planning to push ahead despite the consultation results, our team leapt into action putting in place plans to hit the streets of South Cambridgeshire once again. A vote in full council is due on the 17th July, less than a week away.

We’ve set up a new digital letter writing tool that allows local residents to email their councillor and demand they respect the wishes of South Cambridgeshire taxpayers by voting against the four-day week. If you live in the area, click here to make your voice heard! ([link removed])

Help stop a your council going part-time by clicking here to donate to our campaign ([link removed])
Rupert Lowe MP talks guns, Tories and Restore Britain
Podcast host Duncan Barkes and our very own William Yarwood are joined once again by Rupert Lowe MP for the latest episode of a nation of taxpayers.
Since he was last on the podcast, Rupert is no longer a Reform UK MP but now sits as an Independent MP representing Great Yarmouth.

They chat about Rupert's first year in Parliament, his leaving of Reform UK, police seizing his firearms in an unannounced visit and his new project, Restore Britain. Have a listen to this episode of a nation of taxpayers on Apple Podcasts ([link removed]) , Spotify ([link removed]) , and YouTube ([link removed]) .
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How bad is Britain’s spending addiction?
A week is a long time in politics, as the saying goes. Four and a half is even longer. But the wisdom of former TPA chairman Mike Denham, in conversation with Darwin Friend ([link removed]) , is timeless (almost anyway).
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Now that the dust has settled on Rachel Reeves’ spending review, Mike, a Treasury economist in a past life, and Darwin sat down to talk about its implications for the UK’s finances, particularly given the government’s apparent addiction to spending ([link removed]) . As Mike says: “This country is facing a serious public spending problem, in fact I’d almost describe it as a crisis. To listen to what Rachel Reeves has said in both of her budget statements and also now in this spending review you’d hardly know it. She seems almost oblivious to the problems we’re actually facing on the spending side.”

Watch the full conversation by clicking here ([link removed])
Holiday blues
People often feel down when returning to day-to-day life after a holiday abroad, but the level of Air Passenger Duty (APD) you have to pay when booking your getaway can be enough to make you weep ([link removed]) .
As highlighted in Dia Chakravarty’s op-ed ([link removed]) in the Telegraph, hikes to APD have far outpaced inflation: “In January, it would have cost a family of four (aged over 16) flying in economy to a destination outside Europe, such as the US or the UAE, £352 in air passenger duty (APD). This is set to rise by 16pc to £408 next year. Families venturing Down Under or towards Thailand and Japan will incur a higher cost of £424… The Chancellor claimed in her Budget announcement last year that air passenger duty “has not kept up with inflation in recent years”. However, according to the TaxPayers’ Alliance, whose research I cite above, inflation from 1994 to 2024 was 106pc. Over that period, contrary to the Chancellor’s claim, air duty for destination bands A, B and C has risen by 160pc, 780pc and 820pc respectively.” A tax ripe for abolition ([link removed]) .
Motability madness
With our new benefits dashboard ([link removed]) revealing last week the extent of sickness and disability claims (and what people are claiming for ([link removed]) ), it was no surprise to see our spokesmen still being called on to discuss the runaway benefits bill that threatens to lump taxpayers with a £100 billion a year bill.
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Taking to Talk, Elliot Keck explained to listeners ([link removed]) how people with ADHD are qualifying for brand new cars, subsidised by taxpayers: “There are hundreds of thousands of people that are claiming it for things like ADHD and it’s these conditions that people shouldn’t be receiving cars for… The number of people using motability has tripled since before the pandemic!”

Getting a grip on the benefits bill has become a national priority. With more being spent on sickness and disability benefits than defence, it’s high time ministers grew a backbone, faced down their socialist backbenchers, and delivered the welfare reforms the country so desperately needs!

Check out our benefits dashboard here ([link removed])
Westminster's Houdini act: Dodging accountability for your rising tax burden
In this week’s blog, Jonathan Eida picks up on the theme set by Mike and Darwin, examining what it all means for household finances and the rising tax burden. Jonathan takes a specific look at the increased burden placed on councils and how this is being used by ministers to avoid hiking national taxes and leaving the blame at the foot of local authorities ([link removed]) .
As Jonathan writes: “in reality, much of this supposed boost in funding comes from higher council tax, not new money from Whitehall. The government has simply assumed councils will raise more from local taxpayers, then counted it as part of their own increase in spending power… What we're witnessing is a stealth commitment, designed to shield Westminster from accountability. While national politicians proudly proclaim 'no tax rises on working people', local councils are forced to deliver the painful truth, imposing significant council tax increases on already struggling households.” Have a read of Jonathan’s insightful blog here. ([link removed])
War on Waste
It’s that time of year when many will be heading off to (maybe) warmer climes (if, as above, they can afford the APD of course), but one group of Brits don’t seem too worried. Continuing our Britain’s Quangos Uncovered ([link removed]) campaign, Joanna has revealed how workers at OFGEM, the energy regulator, have racked up 2,509 flights to destinations like Qatar, Sweden, Denmark and Norway ([link removed]) despite only being responsible for the UK’s energy market… Nice work if you can get it.

Benjamin Elks
Grassroots Development Manager

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