Friday, 27 February 2009

TaxPayers' Alliance Bulletin - 27 February 2009

Hustles in Brussels: How MEPs are becoming millionaires at your expense
 
As part of our new EU campaign - and in advance of the new book by groundbreaking author David Craig and TPA Chief Executive Matthew Elliott, The Great European Rip-Off  (right) - on Sunday we released new evidence of the way huge amounts of taxpayers' money is pouring into the pockets of politicians in Brussels. The book, which will be released on March 5th, is a wide-ranging investigation into the huge cost, in taxes, regulations and wasteful bureaucracy, of the European Union to ordinary people.
 
Matthew's co-author, David Craig, is an extremely accomplished bestselling author, whose previous books such as Squandered and Plundering the Public Sector were groundbreaking investigations of the way taxpayers' money is wasted, skimmed off and misused. With his skills and those that Matthew Elliott previously displayed in the Bumper Book of Government Waste, the new book exposes the true nature of what is going on in Brussels.

Special TPA Supporter Offer: We have arranged an exclusive discount deal on the book for TPA supporters, which offers you a 20% discount and free postage and packaging when ordering the book through the Random House website. To take advantage of the offer and buy your discount copy, click here and enter the promotional code RIPOFF when prompted.
 
The new findings released at the weekend reveal: 
  • that it is possible for MEPs to become millionaires over the course of a single 5-year term in office just using their expenses and allowances, over and above their salaries. The extreme generosity - and extreme laxity - of allowances and expenses in the European Parliament means that any MEP could carry out their duties, with regular international travel and a properly staffed office, and yet still have hundreds of thousands of pounds left over that they can channel to themselves, their family or their political party.
  • that British MEPs stand to get a staggering 47% rise in their take home pay after the European elections in June. Not only will they be receiving a healthy pay rise, and change to being paid in Euros - thus benefiting from the extremely favourable exchange rate - but they will only have to pay a reduced EU tax rate of 15%, rather than British income tax rates.
To read more about the life of luxury available in the European Parliament, click here.  
 
We also released details from the Top Secret Galvin Report, an internal EU audit report that revealed such shocking evidence of fraud, corruption and dodgy dealing in the European Parliament that MEPs voted to keep it secret. Even within the Parliament, only a few MEPs were allowed to read it in a locked and guarded room on condition that they pledged never to reveal its contents. However, in the name of transparency and to give taxpayers' the right to see how their money is being taken advantage of by unscrupulous and corrupt individuals, we have been able to publish a detailed guide to its outrageous findings, here.
 
The information about MEPs' expenses and the news of the forthcoming book made a big impact in the media in Britain and across Europe:
 
The Sunday Times, How to make a million in five years (become a Euro MP)
The Sunday Times (Front Page), Secret report reveals how MEPs make millions 
Daily Telegraph, European MPs earning £1 million profits in a term, report finds
Daily Telegraph (Leader Column), Humbug of politicians with their allowances
Telegraph.co.uk, Matthew Elliott: When it comes to MEPs’ pay, no matter how badly you behave the only way is up
Daily Mail, How Euro MPs pocket more than £1million in five years
Daily Express, Scandal of MEPs who abuse expenses to make millions
Daily Express (Leader Column), Cheated taxpayers will oust political parasites
The Sun, £1m ‘con’ by MEPs
Metro, £1m for MEPs - and that's not including the salary
Daily Star, On the Gravy Train
BBC News Online, Euro MP expenses 'can reach £1m' 
Sky News Online, MEPs Abuse Expenses To Become Millionaires
Western Morning News, No welcome for politicians
Manchester Evening News, Call for end to EU 'gravy train'
Lancashire Citizen, Lancashire MEP calls for blitz on EU expenses
Glasgow Herald, Revealed: how MEPs can be millionaires
Aberdeen Press & Journal, From Euro MP to millionaire in one single five-year term  
Bournemouth Echo, ‘MEPs work hard for UK’ - say MEPs  
Grimsby Evening Telegraph, Time to derail gravy train  
Bristol Evening Post, MEPs react to claims of improper expense claims  
Money Week, The Brussels bubble: how long can the junkets last?
TheParliament.com, Report sparks EU row over MEP expenses  
The Parliament, Senior MEP calls for more transparency on EU parliament expenses  
CityWire, Euro MPs' excesses revealed  
Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, Euro MP's pay 'set to increase'
EuropeNews (Denmark), European MPs earning £1 million profits in a term, report finds
EuropeanVoice, The paper clip  
B92 (Serbia), "Euro MP expenses can reach EUR 1.3mn"  
Power Line (USA), Europe's Politicians Don't Pay Their Taxes, Either  
Sofia Echo, European Parliament hits back at 'gravy train' claims
Realitatea (Bulgarian), Un raport al PE face dovada fraudelor comise de europarlamentari
PublicService.co.uk, Many EU quangos 'not fit for purpose'
Guido Fawkes, Who Wants to be a Millionaire MEP?  
Teletext, MEPs 'abusing expenses'  
EuroNews, MEPs Abuse Expenses To Become Millionaires  
 
The report, and the forthcoming book, were also featured on radio stations across Europe, from Radio Network Europe, Today FM in Ireland and Latvian Radio to the more domestic BBC Radio Sheffield.
 
Council pensions: 3,500 councillors climb on the £4.5 billion gravy train
 
Today saw the launch of the latest report in our Council Spending Uncovered campaign, this time on the huge cost of local government pensions. Againstst a backdrop of deepening economic recession and huge financial burdens on taxpayers, the report reveals that councils' employer contributions for staff pensions have now topped a staggering £4.5 billion, even after excluding teachers and firefighters. That is equivalent to £1 in every £5 raised in council tax.

The average council now spends £9.8 million on these contributions. Shockingly, whereas the pensions were traditionally for council staff, 3,527 currently serving local councillors are enrolled in the scheme, working out at an average of 9 per council. This represents a significant extra financial benefit for local politicians, a move away from their traditional voluntary role.
 
This report exposes the sheer cost of these pensions, and calls for urgent reform of the Local Government Pensions Scheme to bring the bill under control. To read the full report, which includes detailed information on every local authority and calls for urgent reform of the Local Government Pensions Scheme, click here.  
 
The report has caused a stir in the media:
 
 
TPA spokesmen have debated the issue on a range of local media, too, including BBC Radio Leeds, BBC Radio Essex, BBC Radio Southern Counties and BBC Radio Three Counties.

Bristol TPA publish plan for tax cuts

Bristol and South West TPA branch came up with a great proposal for Bristol City Council, by compiling all the savings proposals of the different local political parties and producing a 'Best of the Budgets’ proposal that would produce a 2.2% council tax cut for the city's residents. Well done to James Barlow, Andrew Withers and co. for their hard work in demonstrating the scope for tax cuts in Bristol.  If you would like to get involved with the Bristol and South West TPA, James can be contacted here.

Solihull Ratepayers Association joins the TPA

The Solihull Ratepayers Association, founded as a tax revolt against a 93% hike in 1974, has this week become a TaxPayers' Alliance member.  We both have common cause in seeking lower taxes and an end to wasteful spending, so they are a very welcome member of the Alliance.  If you would like more information about them, they can be contacted here: solihullratepayers@hotmail.co.uk. 

If you are involved in an independent residents or community group that fights for lower taxes and wish for your gorganisation to become an affiliate member of the TPA, please contact our grassroots coordinator Tim Aker tim.aker@taxpayersalliance.com. Remember - together we stand!

Victory on council transparency
 
We're pleased to report that the sustained pressure brought to bear by our Council Spending Uncovered campaign is really starting to pay off. Last week the Conservatives pledged to give local taxpayers the power to veto excessive council tax rises, and to force councils to publish the pay and perks of senior council staff as well as details of council spending. Today, the Government followed suit and announced plans to force councils to publish the full remuneration details of senior council staff. This is a great victory for the campaign - the Town Hall Rich List that the TPA pioneered is becoming the official policy of both main parties!
 
TPA Campaign Director Mark Wallace visited the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead this week to welcome another success for the campaign and a great development in the transparency and accountability of councils to their taxpayers. The Borough's councillors voted on Tuesday to make public every single item of spending by the council over £500 - giving local taxpayers the right to see where and how their money is being spent. The photo to the right shows the council leader, Cllr David Burbage , handing Mark a long list of all the items of spending over £5,000. The list over £500 was too long for two people to hold! RBWM are to be congratulated for becoming Britain's first transparent council - please urge your local council to follow their example.
 
This goes to show that the TPA's campaigns, combined with the pressure so many of you have helped us to apply, are having a great impact and we are making excellent progress. To read more about these developments, click here.
 
Leaflets

Last week we sent out 19,000 leaflets to our supporters who had requested them to leaflet their neighbourhoods.  If you would like some to distribute please tell our grassroots coordinator Tim Aker at tim.aker@taxpayersalliance.com how many you’d like and what address to send them to.

Best of the Blogs
 
 

Correction: How to get your discount copy of The Great European Rip-Off
 
Due to a technical error, the link provided in the TPA bulletin to buy a copy of The Great European Rip-Off  at a special discount rate for TPA supporters was faulty. To take up the offer, which gives TPA supporters a 20% discount and free postage and packaging, please follow this link: www.rbooks.co.uk/ripoff 
and enter the promotional code RIPOFF when prompted.
 
Apologies for any problems caused by this error.
 

Posted by Britannia Radio at 20:10