The Westminster bubble was predictably outraged on Friday morning by Boris Johnson’s suggestion that the civil service will need to reduce in size by around 90,000 roles over the next two or three years. In our press release to the nation's media, we made it clear that taxpayers need to see serious efforts to trim Britain’s bloated bureaucracy.Â
As we argued in a blog alongside the release, there are simply too many civil servants. According to its 2015 annual report, the Cabinet Office employed 2,154 people. But fast forward to the 2021 annual report and it now employs 9,225 people - four times as many!
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And the costs of these civil servants are huge! The Cabinet Office 2021 annual report has its core wage bill at ÂŁ452 million. But add to that social security costs of ÂŁ51 million and pension costs of ÂŁ108 million.
Public-sector pensions overall represent a ÂŁ1.8 trillion commitment from the taxpayer, and reducing headcount is the simplest way to get this under control.
With the pandemic now behind us, the government must wind down the Whitehall commitments which are costing taxpayers a fortune. Slashing unnecessary waste and inefficiency will ease the burden and unlock tax cuts to put money back in people’s pockets.
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Just a quick reminder that we'll be in Morpeth, Northumberland next week for second leg of the Town Hall Rich List Roadshow. If you'd like to join us or just say hello please get in touch.
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We'll also be visiting Croydon, Cardiff, Glasgow, Lincoln, Sandwell and Shaftesbury. If you'd like more information about any of these then do drop me an email.
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TaxPayers' Alliance in the news
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TPA urges government to cut taxes
In the wake of the Queen's speech we didn't delay in sending out our reaction to the nation's media. Picked up by several national newspapers, we urged Boris and Rishi to bring forward much-needed tax cuts and ease the burden on Brits.
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Our chief executive John O'Connell stood up for taxpayers across Britain, “Welcome promises to roll back regulations, sort out procurement and reform taxes tomorrow won’t help Brits struggling today. With the cost of living crisis already crippling families and firms, taxpayers are crying out for immediate action."
If the government wants to boost growth and help households, they can deliver both right now by bringing forward the planned income tax cut.
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A windfall tax is not the answer
Calls for a windfall tax on energy giants are not going away - so once again the TaxPayers' Alliance is laying out the case against them. Appearing on LBC's prime time show with Iain Dale, our media campaign manager Danielle Boxall adeptly explained that windfall taxes don't work.
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Speaking to listeners across the country she made it clear that they are "bad from both a taxpayer's point of view and a company's point of view". Worse still such a tax would likely impact investment in cleaner forms of energy in the UK. Click here to watch a clip from the interview.
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More reasons why it's time to Axe the Tax
The BBC is set to spend ÂŁ50 million on researching what programmes its viewers like to watch.
According to reports in The Times, "It has put out for tender three market research contracts that will each run for four years" and "the chosen provider will be required to study viewers’ behaviour, consumption and 'perception', including their experience of the broadcaster and their satisfaction."
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Reacting to the news our digital campaign manager Joe Ventre was utterly scathing on spending, telling Times' readers, "Taxpayers are sick of seeing their hard-earned money bankroll big BBC projects. In the midst of a cost-of living crisis, households are bound to feel the sting of the £159 licence fee. It’s time for ministers to be bold and commit to axing the TV tax for good."
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Slough council needs to raise its game
As I wrote in my regular column for ConservativeHome, sometimes you have to admire the sheer lack of awareness by councillors. Cllr Christine Hulme, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services at Slough Council has put forward a motion demanding a windfall tax on energy companies “to ease the cost of living crisis”. But what exactly her council has done to reduce the burden on local residents?
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It’s laughable that a council that splashed tens of millions on a Silicon Valley-esque headquarters and is having to sell £600 million of its extravagant property portfolio, thinks it knows how to ease the cost of living crisis. Click here to read more.
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The injustice of the Judicial Pension Scheme
For many people, pensions aren’t worth worrying about until they’re nearing retirement. In 2012, the government introduced auto-enrolment to encourage more people to save for their retirement. However, as the TPA's Benjamin Elks writes this week, not all pensions were made equal.
You may be surprised to learn that our judges have access to a far more generous pension. One that is not bound by the same limits ordinary taxpayers have to live with.Â
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This means that judges, who are already highly remunerated receive extremely generous pension benefits that are simply not attainable for the average Brit.
The TPA has long railed against the discrepancies in pensions between the public and private sectors, but these princely pensions for the judiciary go above and beyond. The government should bring the gavel down on this pension bung. Click here to read the full story.
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Help us stop the home delivery duty
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The government is considering a tax on purchases made online. As our very own Elliot Keck explains, in the middle of a cost of living crisis, the last thing Brits need is bigger bills. There's less than a week to go until The Treasury closes its consultation on the issue.
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It’s critical that the government gets as many clear responses as possible. Our simple tool makes it easy for you to submit a response if you haven't done so already. Click here to make your voice heard!
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Taking the biscuit
Figures obtained by the TaxPayers' Alliance have revealed that councils in Northern Ireland spent over ÂŁ30,283 on refreshments in 2021-22. Antrim and Newtownabbey topped the charts with almost ÂŁ15,000 on food and drink for members during meetings. Mid and East Antrim splashed out nearly ÂŁ9,5000 on hot meals described as a "main-course fork buffet".
Ratepayers struggling with the cost of living crisis will be fuming at these figures. While households are forced to tighten their belts, councillors and council officials are loosening theirs. We're telling town hall staff to stop taking the biscuit and make some much-needed savings.
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Harry Fone
Grassroots Campaign Manager
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