Britannia Radio

TaxPayers' Alliance bulletin - 4th September 2009

 

Oh Ambassador, with these Eurocrats you are really spoiling us...

 

A new TPA study, released yesterday, revealed how the EU is spending billions promoting a country called Europe. The report, which includes a foreword by Sir Antony Acland KG, GCMG, GCVO, former UK ambassador to the USA between 1986 and 1991, exposes the way in which the European Union's External Relations programme has used huge quantities of British taxpayers' money to progressively usurp the nation's global standing. The EU foreign service now costs £3.4 billion per year, with the embassy property portfolio alone worth £55 million. As shocking is the plush lifestyles that EU diplomats enjoy. On top of a fat cat salary of £244,000 they receive perks including adoption grants, expat allowances, entertainment allowances and own-car grants if they don’t get a chauffeur. To read the full report, please click here

 

The report received a great reception in the media, with hits including:

Daily Express: EU accused over diplomat costs 
The Sun: £3bn on EU ‘state’ (not yet online)
Yorkshire Post: Alliance claims EU shadow 'diplomats' costing taxpayer billions  
ConservativeHome: Mark Wallace: The £3.4 billion budget for promoting a country called Europe 
Public Servant Magazine: Public Servant: Barroso maps out next five EU years 
Politics.co.uk: EU diplomatic service 'challenging Foreign Office'  
Channel 4 News: EU accused over 'diplomat' costs  
Teletext: EU accused over 'diplomat' costs 
TPA Campaign Director Mark Wallace was interviewed about the report this morning on CNBC, which is the world’s most watched Business News Channel. You can view the interview online here 
 

Talking Tax, Talking Cuts

 

This week TPA Chief Executive Matthew Elliott met Doncaster's new Mayor Peter Davies. A breath of fresh air to taxpayers in his home city, and the envy of overburdened taxpayers across the country, Mr. Davies has pledged to save taxpayers' money wherever he can, has cut his own pay, untwinned his town and asked for any suggestions to cut the widescale waste that plagues so many councils around the country. Aware of the TPA's in-depth knowledge of local government waste and how it can be eradicated, Mr. Davies invited Matthew to put forward 5 years' worth of hard-hitting policy ideas and ways to cut spending and increase efficiency to see how he could apply them to his new ward. Our ideas on transparency and accountability have been adopted with great success by other councils, including Windsor and Maidenhead, who now have a policy of disclosing any council expenditure over £500. The discussion was constructive and will hopefully bear fruit by saving taxpayers in Doncaster from future crippling tax rises. Watch this space...

 

Council Tax protest 10th September Norwich Magistrates Court

On 10th September, 2009, our long standing supporter Barbara Lockwood faces prison for non-payment of her council tax increases.  We’re determined to be with her to protest and give her as much support as we can.  If you can come along and join us we will be meeting outside the Norwich Magistrates Court at 1.30pm on Thursday 10th September 2009. This is an extremely important event because Barbara is threatened with prison.  So we need as many supporters there as possible to show how unfair the council’s actions are. If you are coming to the protest please RSVP to Tim Aker tim.aker@taxpayersalliance.com 

Public sector productivity - a worrying trend 

 

This week TPA Policy Analyst John O'Connell had a no-nonsense op-ed published in the Yorkshire Post, outlining inefficiencies and drop in productivity in the public sector. Despite huge levels of spending, public sector productivity has declined since 1997. The total yearly cost of falling efficiency in the public sector is now estimated to be a staggering £58.4 billion – half of what Britain pays in income tax each year.  To read the full article, please click here. 

Best of the Blogs

 

Better Government: Fake Aid: DFID's taxpayer funded lobbying

Economics 101: Blackouts

European Union: 1992 and All That

Burning Our Money: NHS Emergency Surgery

Non-job of the week: Media Communications Officer, Buckinghamshire County Council

 

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