It's certainly not been a boring week in Westminster, to put it mildly! With a new prime minister on the horizon, media attention has naturally focussed on what his or her policies will be. Unsurprisingly tax, inflation and the cost of living crisis have been at the forefront of voters' and media attention.
Nadhim Zahawi, the new chancellor, may not have time or scope to make big changes. But all the same, the BBC looked at ways he "could change tack on the economy." In the article, the Beeb was keen to highlight our suggestion of bringing forward income tax, quoting us as saying:
"a respite from tax rises, they'd do well to simply bring forward the planned income tax cut instead of tricking taxpayers into thinking they're better off".
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In a Daily Telegraph piece, our media campaign manager Danielle Boxall made clear that the tax burden isn't just a distant economic concept. She reminded readers that "taxes remain the single biggest bill families and firms face.”
It's not only a cost of living crisis, it's a cost of government crisis.
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We should know by early September who Britain's new PM will be. But that's not stopping the TaxPayers' Alliance from continuing to bang the drum for lower taxes during this crucial period when the candidates will be seeking the best ideas for their platforms.
We think it starts with a straightforward concept - it's time to let working households keep more of their own money and boost earnings for us all!
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Grassroots: Town Hall Rich Roadshow to visit Croydon
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The Town Hall Rich List Roadshow has been a tremendous success but we're not finished yet! On Saturday 30th July we'll be in Croydon where in 2020-21 the now former chief executive Jo Negrini received taxpayer-funded remuneration of £613,000.
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Joined by our friends at the Croydon Constitutionalists we'll be asking locals whether Negrini deserved such a bumper compensation packet. If you'd like to join our campaigning efforts please get in touch.
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TaxPayers' Alliance in the news
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Botched census cost taxpayers dear
In a front page exclusive with the Scottish edition of The Times we discovered that £6 million of taxpayers' cash was wasted on a census. As the paper reports, "Spending on Scotland’s botched census was almost 50 per cent higher per person than the successful survey in England and Wales, analysis suggests."
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In his comments to readers, our chief executive John O’Connell was scathing of the avoidable waste, “The Scottish government should not have spent millions on advertising for this utter shambles of a census. Cost overruns have become a depressingly familiar story on Scottish government projects, costing taxpayers a fortune and undermining public services.
We're putting Scottish ministers on notice that they must ensure better value for money from all spending decisions, especially when millions of pounds are at stake.
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Ministers must act now to stop militant trade unions
As Danielle Boxall writes in an opinion piece for The Express this week, across the public sector, we’re seeing unrealistic pay demands spurred on by militant unions. And their demands can only be met with yet more tax hikes at a time when taxpayers are already suffering a horrendous burden.
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That's why ministers take steps to prevent the unions from holding the country hostage in the first place. Trade union facility time costs taxpayers almost £100 million a year. The government should cap facility time to no more than the current civil service average, and ensure that no individual public sector worker can spend more than half their time on trade union duties. Click here to read more.
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Shocking sums lost to benefit fraud
Official figures show that a jaw-dropping £10.1 billion of taxpayers' cash was lost to universal credit fraud during the pandemic. That's almost five times than all the other years put together. According to The Telegraph this means that £1 out of every £8 was fraudulently claimed.
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Discussing the shocking statistics on GBNews, our investigations campaign manager Elliot Keck said the government had "clearly dropped the ball." after having the best part of a year to tackle the problem. Mandarins and ministers need to get their act together, quickly! Click here to watch a clip from the interview.
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TPA slams "loopy luxuries" for MPs
A new report has suggested that the Palace of Westminster could get dim lighting, calming music and fish tanks to make the building more "inclusive" for MPs and visitors. But the insanity didn't stop there it was also suggested that gender-neutral toilets, women-only spaces and medidation rooms be installed.
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Giving her thoughts to The Sun, Danielle lambasted the report telling readers, "MPs don’t need all these loopy luxuries. Taxpayers want parliament refurb costs kept under control, not see their cash spent on fish tanks and meditation rooms."
We're making it clear to those in charge that taxpayers’ money shouldn't be wasted on Westminster’s cushy comforts.
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It's time to put the brakes on fuel duty
As the cost of living crisis deepens, the amount drivers are paying at the pump has hit an all-time high - prices hit an average of 191.53 pence for unleaded and 199.03 pence for diesel according to the RAC on Monday morning.
As our operations director Sara Rainwater writes this week even filling up her fuel-efficient family car, "costs an eye-watering amount. What used to be £40 for a full tank a year ago is well over £70 today."
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Perhaps that’s why frustrated motorists created rolling blockades across the country in protest. Whatever you think of their methods, the protestors are right that having fuel prices pushed even higher by excessive taxes is madness.
Cutting fuel duty again would be a big stride forward in helping struggling households across Britain. Click here to read more.
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Bristolians furious at foreign jollies
Analysis by the TPA revealed Bristol City Council's prolific jet setting over the last three years. Trips to exotic destinations such as Durban, Tokyo, Oman and New York mean the local authority racked up enough air miles to fly to the moon!
As I explained in my comments to the Bristol Post which ran the story, "Taxpayers in Bristol will be furious at the foreign jollies they've been helping to fund. While the council lectures residents about a climate emergency, bureaucrats are sent on luxury trips around the world. Officials should hold meetings online or be sent packing.”
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Harry Fone
Grassroots Campaign Manager
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