Our latest in a long line of hard-hitting research projects has found that introducing mandatory deputy police and crime commissioners (PCCs) could see bosses taking home an additional £1.4 million on top of the existing £77 million budget.
Government ministers have committed to legislating for new deputy PCCs, and the Draft Victims Bill announced in the Queen’s Speech aims to grant a ‘greater role’ for PCCs. Any commissioner can already appoint a deputy. Making them mandatory would place an unnecessary additional burden on the taxpayer.
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With yearly increases in police precepts adding to taxpayers' council bills, the TaxPayers’ Alliance is calling on the government to drop plans to make deputy PCCs mandatory.
As I wrote in my ConservativeHome column on the subject, "Do we really want to further burden council taxpayers?"
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Taxpayers want forces to focus funding on bobbies on the beat, not pay and personnel for police commissioners. While a good case can be made for elected police bosses, there’s little reason for them to be taking on unnecessary deputies and overseeing endless rises in the policing precept.Â
These commissioners should not be allowed to become as costly and bureaucratic as the police authorities they replaced.
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Grassroots: THRL Roadshow in Shaftesbury
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This week the Town Hall Rich List Roadshow descended on Shaftesbury in Dorset where residents pay the third-highest council tax bills in Britain.
Taking inspiration from a classic TV game show we invited people to join us for a game of "Play your council cards right".Â
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But instead of a standard deck of cards, we replaced Kings and Queens with council bosses and their bumper remuneration. Residents had to decide whether the next remuneration total would be higher or lower than the previous card.Â
Many were shocked that some town hall bosses receive greater remuneration than the prime minister. For the next leg of the tour we'll be in Cardiff, please email me if you'd like to join us or simply say hello.
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TaxPayers' Alliance in the news
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Hiking taxes won't help growth and jobs!
Once again we were heard by taxpayers all across the country after our media campaign manager Danielle Boxall was a guest on LBC's flagship show, Cross Question with Iain Dale. In a lively discussion, she and the panel tackled everything from partygate to getting the economy back on its feet.
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Danielle was adamant that the government must reverse their tax hikes, saying, "Putting taxes up right now is completely the wrong message for growth and jobs!" Hear! Hear!
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Sick to the back teeth
A series of freedom of information requests by the TaxPayers' Alliance has revealed the alarming number of civil servants taking days off work without providing sick notes. Almost 10,000 working days have been lost since 2019 but with no sign off from doctors.
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Our chief executive John O'Connell didn't hold back in his comments to the Daily Express, "People are sick to the back teeth of civil servants being out of the office. If bureaucrats are not just pulling a sickie, they should have a note to explain why. Whitehall needs to get a grip on these absences."Â
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Driven round the bend
As we've previously examined DVLA staff have had a pretty easy time of it recently after The Times discovered that thousands were on full pay despite no work for long periods of the pandemic. Despite this embarrassment, it seems not much has changed.
The DVLA has published its business plan for 2022-23 and describes itself as a "great place to work" and providing "best in class" customer service. And it's still offering flexible working options!
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Asked for his thoughts our investigations campaign manager Elliot Keck didn't mince his words, telling The Spectator, "Taxpayers have been driven round the bend by the DVLA's endless failures. This shows that the DVLA still has its head buried firmly in the sand."
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Let’s raise a glass to the Queen and to cheaper pints!
This week Greene King pubs across the country were offering pints of its IPA for just six pence to celebrate the Queen's jubilee. Why six pence I hear you ask? Well, according to Greene King this was the average cost of a pint in 1952 when the Queen ascended to the throne.
Compare this to the modern day, where the average price of a pint is £4.07. Even allowing for 70 years of inflation it shouldn’t cost this much - it should only be around £1.20.
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So what’s gone wrong? Why is one of the nation’s most loved tipples almost three and a half times more expensive than you would expect it to be? As I write for the TPA blog it may come as no surprise that excessive taxation shares part of the blame. Click here to read the full story.
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In the firing line
Adur and Worthing council has rightly come under fire after it splurged thousands of pounds on wiggly lines and a new pedestrian area in Worthing. The photos have to be seen to be believed but it's fair to spending £1,230 on "wiggly white lines" hasn't gone down well with local residents.
This was part of a wider spend of £23,500 as part of the town's "plan to go carbon neutral by 2030." Once again, some local authorities don't have their priorities straight. The TaxPayers' Alliance is putting all councils on notice that they must stop wasting public money.
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The TPA team joins the nation in celebrating the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen!Â
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Harry Fone
Grassroots Campaign Manager
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