The big taxpayer news this week was a series of support measures announced by the chancellor in an effort to tackle the cost of living crisis. It's fair to say at the TPA we were less than impressed by Rishi's plans.
His energy grant and one-off payment for some households amount to little more than the government taking with one hand and giving with the other. Taxes are the single biggest bill families face and these huge handouts will see politicians hoovering up the incomes of struggling taxpayers.
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We didn't delay in issuing a stinging rebuttal to the chancellor's announcement as we proposed three better ways to help taxpayers.
It wasn't long before our media phone was ringing off the hook and our chief executive John O'Connell took to the airwaves to put pressure on the government. Speaking to LBC News he explained that the Treasury shouldn't be dipping further into taxpayers' pockets.
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But John didn't stop there and by the next morning, he'd penned an article for Britain's biggest-selling newspaper, the Daily Mail, outlining exactly what the chancellor needed to do to help struggling households:
"Lower taxes boost the economy, letting people spend where they see fit. You can’t tax your way to higher growth, and you can’t spend your way out of an inflation crisis."
We're ramping up the pressure on the government boost growth and help households, by bringing forward the planned income tax cut and slashing costly green levies on energy bills.
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Grassroots news: Town Hall Rich List Roadshow
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Our team was back on the road this week for the Town Hall Rich List Roadshow. We visited the charming seaside town of Skegness in Lincolnshire.
It's fair to say residents were absolutely staggered at how much their council bosses were paid and hundreds signed our petition to stop council tax rises.
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We'll keep travelling the length and breadth of the country fighting for taxpayers. The next stops on the tour include Shaftesbury, Cardiff, Sandwell, Croydon and Glasgow. If you'd like to help us campaign or come along and say hello, please get in touch.
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TaxPayers' Alliance in the news
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A windfall tax is not the answer
The chancellor's announcement of a windfall tax while popular with some is not the answer to soaring energy prices. Arbitrary new taxes make the UK an unsafe investment bet long into the future.
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Speaking to GBNews, our policy analyst Darwin Friend adeptly made this point, "the answer is to put more money in people's pockets by cutting their taxes!" Adding "we need a longer-term version from the government to solve the cost of living crisis." Click here to watch a clip from the interview.
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Rail union bosses take home £500,000 in pay and perks
With the transport unions having voted on the ‘biggest rail strike in modern history’, we revealed that just four transport trade union bosses had a combined total remuneration of almost £500,000 during the first year of the pandemic. This included over £4,000 in courtesy car benefits for two RMT bosses.
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Our findings were not only covered in the Daily Mail but our research director Duncan Simpson also spoke to TimesRadio. He argued that taxpayers are fed up with lectures and disruption from loaded union leaders.
These red barons are dooming commuters to misery, but are sitting comfortably as some of Britain’s biggest earners in taxpayer-backed unions. The TPA is taking a stand against these hypocritical union heads.
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We have a cost of government crisis
Debate still raged days after the chancellor's announcement and the TaxPayers' Alliance was as the very heart of the conversation.
Speaking to GBNews on Saturday, our investigations campaign manager Elliot Keck told viewers, "We have a cost of Government crisis as much as we have a cost of living crisis."
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But he went further, calling on the government to bring forward the income tax cut, scrap the national insurance rise and increase the personal allowance in line with inflation.
We're telling ministers that only through a serious programme of tax cuts, coupled with reductions in government spending, can we really ease the cost of living crisis. Click here to watch a clip from the interview.
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DfT splurges thousands on away days
Yet again a not insignificant chunk of taxpayer cash has gone down the drain on pointless 'team-building' days for civil servants. Specifically, the Department for Transport spent nearly £19,000 on events which included "group juggling" and "how to build a mini Mexican railway".
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Speaking to presenter Nick Ferrari and listeners on LBC our media campaign manager, Danielle Boxall said that taxpayers will be "shocked" at how their cash is being spent in the middle of a cost of living crisis.
The TPA is putting government departments on notice to put a stop to this frivolous expenditure. Click here to watch a clip from the interview.
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“Woke capitalists” should be careful what they wish for
A worrying trend is businesses openly lobbying on areas of government policy which directly benefit them to the disadvantage of others. As Elliot Keck writes this week the most recent example is Tesco’s chairman calling for a windfall tax.
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In the end, he got what he wanted but the likes of Tesco should not be blasé about any of this. Whatever short-term gain they may experience, the long-term impact on investment and growth will be to their detriment. Nor are they immune from similar measures. Click here to read more.
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Slough council set to sell plush headquarters
Facing a £479 million blackhole, Slough Borough Council looks set to sell of its £47 million HQ despite only moving into the premises in 2019. At the time we exposed the Silicon Valley-style luxury of the offices and questioned whether it was the best use of taxpayers' cash.
According to local reports, the council's reckless spending is "requiring the council to downsize and make £20 million of savings every year until 2029."
Slough residents have been done a disservice by their council. Local authorities across the country must learn from Slough's mistakes and focus resources on frontline services and keeping bills down.
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Harry Fone
Grassroots Campaign Manager
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