Friday, 12 September 2008



TaxPayers' Alliance Bulletin 12th September 2008

Barnett Formula has cost taxpayers £200 billion

This week the TPA published a new and comprehensive study of the Barnett Formula, the Government system used to calculate the distribution of public spending between the countries of the UK, that reveals the staggering cost to taxpayers of the spending gap between England and the three better-funded devolved territories (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). Crucially, the report also investigates the claim that North Sea Oil revenue is enough to pay for the cost of Barnett spending in Scotland and reveals that this is far from being the case. The full report can be found here.

In the last couple of weeks the SNP Government in Edinburgh have proposed radical tax changes and Gordon Brown has pledged an investigation into the financial responsibilities of the Scottish Parliament, so the publication is extremely timely. The report, written by former Treasury economist Mike Denham, explores the troubled history of that funding settlement, details the burden placed on taxpayers by the Barnett Formula and puts forward the case for an end to the Formula and its replacement with true fiscal decentralisation. The report will be submitted as evidence to the Calman Commission and to the House of Lords committee currently investigating the Barnett Formula, raising the interests of taxpayers at the highest level with the people who are going to be deciding the future of the Formula.
 
The report had an excellent range of coverage in the national media and scores of appearances in the national media. Here is a run down of the national coverage, with a selection of the local and internet hits:
 
The Sun: England picks up £200bn tax bill
Daily Telegraph: Taxpayers' £8,000 Barnett Formula bill for services in Scotland
Daily Express: New calls to scrap Scottish subsidy  
Daily Star: £200bn bill for English taxpayer
Daily Star: Leader: Tax lottery must stop
Daily Mail: New call to scrap Barnett Formula
BBC News Online: Funding rules 'unfairness' claim
Spectator Coffee House: Mike Denham: An alternative to the Barnett Formula  
The Scotsman: English taxpayers attack Scots 'subsidies'  
Politics.co.uk: Devolved spending review 'urgent'
Iain Dale's Diary: The Barnett Formula: Time For It To Go
Metro: Call to end unfair Barnett formula
Teletext: Scottish subsidy 'unfair'
Western Mail: Campaigners call for Barnett changes
Western Mail: £200bn ‘wasted’
Birmingham Post: New calls to scrap Scottish subsidy  
ConservativeHome: Conservatives now unlikely to make large changes to UK-wide funding settlement  
Newcastle Journal: Alliance Calls For End To 'Unfair Formula'
Public Service Online: 'Consign Barnett formula to history'  
ePolitix.com: Barnett Formula under new scrutiny  
OpenDemocracy: Calman coming to England 

Mike Denham, the report's author, also appeared on GMTV, Talksport, BBC Radio Scotland (as did TPA supporter Eben Wilson) and City Talk to explain the problem and propose fiscal decentralisation as a viable alternative to the Barnett Formula. The report stirred up a really energetic debate about the Barnett Formula, generating over 150 comments at ConservativeHome and Iain Dale's Diary, for example.
 
To see a video of Mike discussing the report, click here.

Council Tax meeting in Surrey

Surrey County Council is hosting a ‘Question Time’ meeting where the County Council will try to defend their tax increases.  If you wish to attend and hold the politicians to account, it will be held on Thursday 18th September 2008, 7pm at the University of Surrey in the Austin Pearce 3 Building.  Go to this link  to book yourself a place.  If you are going, please write up a summary so we can publicise the excuses given for your increasing council tax.

Council tax rebels in court

TPA campaigner Barbara Lockwood is back in court on Monday 15 September. If you wish to come and support Barbara, please email our grassroots coordinator Tim Aker tim.aker@taxpayersalliance.com and meet at Norwich Magistrates Court at 10am. TPA activist Rick Stratton is going to Hendon Magistrates Court on Monday 15 September to support Mr and Mrs Glenister who are being taken to court for refusing to pay the Olympics levy in their London Council Tax Bills.  If you wish to support them please call Rick on 07709 906 281 or email him at Rjs355Spyder@aol.com


Hard working? Concerned about how your taxes are spent? BBC1 have an invitation for you

In another sign that the media are interested in the TPA and our message, we were contacted this week by a production company working for BBC1 who are planning to produce a series about the issue of long-term unemployment and benefits dependency. They want to find a hard-working, self-made family to live with a family who are out of work, on benefits and reliant on welfare. The idea is that the unemployed family will learn how to get into employment while the programme discusses the problems of long term unemployment, the cost of the welfare state and so on. This is a big ask, but if you're interested in volunteering to be the hard-working family here's the information they've asked us to pass on:

Do you own a successful family-run business? Have you created a highly profitable business from scratch? Are you proud of your roots and where you are from? We are looking for special business families to take part in a BBC One documentary. If you are confident, highly motivated and proud of the fruits of your labour then we want to hear from you! Please contact alice@silverriver.tv or call 0207 907 3446 for more info

The grassroots campaign reaching new heights

We are extremely close to doubling our membership this year.  If you know of anyone interested in campaigning against tax increases and fighting for better services, do recommend to them that they join up.  If you would like information and literature to hand out email our grassroots coordinator Tim Aker tim.aker@taxpayersalliance.com and help us spread our message further into the country.

Want to write for the TPA blog?

We’re always on the look out for supporters to write short articles for our campaign blog so we can put our grassroots supporters at the centre of our campaign.  If you have an opinion, be it on local government waste, non-jobs or our report on the Barnett Formula, then email our grassroots coordinator Tim Aker tim.aker@taxpayersalliance.com with your submission – 400 to 500 words - and we’ll endeavour to put it on the website. Even better, why not turn your article into a letter and send it into your local paper to make the case for lower taxes in your community?
 
Pick of the blogs
 

Posted by Britannia Radio at 20:33