The future of HS2 looks more uncertain than ever after the release of two damning reports. A leaked copy of the the Oakervee review acknowledged that the cost of the high speed vanity project will be £106 billion. A subsequent report by the National Audit Office highlighted that the project will never be completed on time or on budget, putting the blame squarely on the Department for Transport and HS2 Ltd.
The TPA was quick to issue press releases in response to the reports and our comments were picked by The Daily Telegraph, The Sun, The Daily Mail, The Times, Daily Express CityAM and TalkRadio among others.
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Additionally we have been working with a number of MPs to make the case for transport projects in their constituencies instead of HS2. Andrew Bridgen, Victoria Prentis (chair of the HS2 Review Group), Rob Butler and Craig Tracey all recorded videos for social media which received tens of thousands of views. More are planned so please keep an eye out on Twitter and Facebook.
The facts are overwhelming, HS2 is a disaster! The prime minister must make the obvious decision and scrap HS2. There are many alternative projects on the table that will benefit the whole country.
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Many supporters have got in touch to voice their anger at council tax rises and I'm pleased to report the first of our action days will take place in Herefordshire on Saturday 8th February. The council is planning a 4 per cent rise and our research suggests there is plenty of wasteful spending that could be eradicated.
If you live in the area and want to campaign with us please email me for more details.
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TaxPayers' Alliance in the news
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Nice work if you can get it
This week we learned that 518 public sector employees (excluding local government) were paid over £150,000 per year. In total the cost to taxpayers was £94 million, a 6 per cent rise on 2018. Topping the list of high earners was Mark Thurston, chief executive of HS2 who was paid a staggering £625,000. An incredible salary when you consider the project will be at least 7 years late and more than 3 times over budget.
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Commenting on the revelations for The Times our chief executive John O'Connell said, “Taxpayers want their hard-earned money spent on world-leading public services not gold-plated salaries for well-heeled bureaucrats.”
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Three tasks for Boris
Writing for ConservativeHome our research director Duncan Simpson called on prime minister Boris Johnson to cull quangos, end taxpayer-funded lobbying and reform appointments.
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On taxpayer funded lobbying he writes, "The TaxPayers’ Alliance first exposed in 2009 that more than £37 million (almost £50 million in today’s money) was spent on taxpayer-funded lobbying by public sector bodies and campaigning groups in just one year. That’s nearly as much as the £40.1 million that Labour, the Tories and the Lib Dem combined spent through their central campaigns at the 2005 election." Click here to read more.
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Does Davos mean "summit"?
This week saw politicians, economists, climate change activists and even royalty gather in Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting. Writing for the blog this week our volunteer Islay May Aitchison questioned the merit of the summit.
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She writes, "agreements by elites in these circumstances don’t tend to benefit regular people. There’s no accountability at Davos, where democratic processes can be conveniently circumvented and fateful discussions happen behind closed doors." Click here to read more.
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Despite many councils proposing inflation busting rises in council tax there are a select few that buck the trend. For example, Copeland council is poised to deliver its fifth consecutive “no cuts” budget as part of its financial strategy to keep increases below inflation. The council performs well in our Town Hall Rich List, only employing one person with a remuneration above £100,000 per year.
Basildon Council has gone one step further, they plan to freeze council tax. They have been able to do so through increased private sector revenue. Council leader Gavin Callaghan says the council will continue to fund public services through investment in commercial property. Whilst the freeze in council tax is welcome there are concerns about the risk of these investments. Click here to watch a recent TPA panel discussion on the topic. |
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Harry Fone
Grassroots Campaign Manager
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