The Committee on Standards in Public Life have an open consultation on party funding, which will feed in to their recommendations. The TPA have responded to a few of their key questions in this document, making it absolutely clear that any future reform cannot cost the taxpayer a single penny. We’re doing all we can to demand the removal of public funding for campaigning, TPA Director Matthew Sinclair has written a blog about this here, and we hope to make an appearance before the Committee to present our written evidence as forcefully as possible. Their document and question paper is here. If you don’t want your taxes spent funding political parties, or if you would like to answer some of their other questions, then you can get in touch with the Committee today by emailing inquiry@standards.x.gsi.gov.uk On Wednesday night our Director, Matthew Sinclair, went on Channel 4 News to talk about the Government’s new plans for Housing Benefit. You can see the debate here. Matt’s also written an excellent blog on the topic, welcoming the cap as a necessary step – read it here. The TaxPayers’ Alliance are delighted to be have been recognised by the Atlas Economic Research Foundation in Washington D.C. who’ve chosen us to receive their Templeton Freedom Award for our work on what they termed our Pay Cheque Transparency Project – or to you and I, our Public Sector and Town Hall Rich Lists. The organisation said: “The objective of the project was to highlight the growth in public sector pay and to introduce greater transparency to taxpayer-funded remuneration, enabling public opinion and the media to act as a check on further big pay rises. To transform this issue into something which was more media friendly, and which the public would find easier to understand, TaxPayers’ extended the ‘Rich Lists’ popularised by Forbes and, in the UK, the Sunday Times, to public sector remuneration. The list was published from 2006 to 2009 and widely publicized in the media. After this, Prime Minister Gordon Brown attacked the “culture of excess” in public sector pay and said that any salary above £150,000 would now need formal ministerial approval. In 2007 TaxPayers’ also started to compile the Town Hall Rich List (THRL). Their researchers contacted every local authority in the country, requesting details of employees with pay and remuneration above £100,000. For the first time, people all over Britain could see what the senior officers in their local council were earning, and they could hold them accountable”. We’re thrilled to have had our research acknowledged by this reputable Foundation, and will take this as motivation to pursue our future projects with the same vigour. The Fire Brigade Union (FBU) has announced a 47 hour strike action in London starting on bonfire night. The union hopes to quash the plans to change shift patterns of 5,500 fire fighters by causing maximum impact on the public by withdrawing labour during such a key time. The change would end the two 9-hour day-shifts followed by two 15-hour night-shifts that firefighters currently follow. And instead firefighters would work two 12-hour day-shifts followed by two 12-hour night-shifts, with four days off, to allow more time for daytime community fire prevention work. Matt Wrack, General secretary of the FBU, said: “We do not want to take this action but we have no choice. The alternative is to allow London’s firefighters to become doormats for their employers to walk on.” But the FBU have decided to strike on the day when the public are at the greatest risk from fires. And over what? Minor changes in shift patterns. It’s a gross overreaction. As MP Nadhim Zahawi, a member of Parliament’s All Party Fire Safety and Rescue Group, said: “They are endangering the lives of people for the sake of a change to their shift patterns.” Striking to cause maximum impact by blatantly disregarding public safety – the very public that fund the firemen to provide a service – does little to further the union’s grievances over reform. If anything it strengthens the case for banning strike action in services where public safety is put at risk if it’s not delivered, as is the case with police forces. We’d like to keep a close eye on all public sector bodies around the country, so do please write to Andrew Allison (andrew.allison@taxpayersalliance.com) with any examples of waste you’ve come across and feel should be highlighted to a wider audience. No matter what it is, tell him about it, and every week he’ll aim to write a blog post listing the examples you have given us, and will mention some in this weekly bulletin too! Many supporters have already contacted us for our Freedom of Information Request template, so they can dig out waste for us. If you would like a copy, then emailandrew.allison@taxpayersalliance.com. Over the coming weeks, you will start seeing more blog posts on the website from activists across the country. They do a fantastic job in their local areas, and we want them to tell you more about it. Make sure you check visitwww.taxpayersalliance.com, and if you want to start campaigning in your area, e-mail National Grassroots Coordinator, Andrew Allison, who will give you more details of how you can help. Burning our Money: Yes We Can - Mike Denham takes heart from New Zealand's experience of public sector reform Burning our Money: Why The Real National Debt Is Real - Mike Denham responds to the objections raised over our Real National Debt video, and explains why our calculations reveal the full extent of the liabilities bearing down on taxpayers' shoulders Economics 101: Housing Benefit - Matthew Sinclair argues that cuts to Housing Benefit are a fair way of controlling costs Grassroots: New Cardiff branch reveal public liability costs at city council - Lee Canning, coordinator of our new Cardiff TPA branch, with an inevitably familiar tale of local authority wasteful spending... Better Government: RDAs may be going but grant-chasing lives on - John O'Connell says that the new Local Enterprise Partnerships still have the grant-chasing mentality created by RDAs
TaxPayers' Alliance Bulletin - 29th October 2010
Party Funding Submission
The Coalition Government has talked a lot about cleaning up party funding. They want to put a stop to big money dominating politics, however, one of the proposals being seriously discussed at the moment is the introduction of more regulated state funding of parties. This is not acceptable. Previous studies have shown that the taxpayer already pays a huge bill for politics and campaigning, including staff whose sole job is to offer political guidance and free broadcasting time during election periods. Not only this, taxpayers fund political campaigns outside of conventional party politics.Housing Benefit
Templeton Freedom Award
Fire Brigade Strike
Of course there needs to be workplace representation to ensure that employees are not exploited, but strike action was never meant to be taken so that people’s lives are put in danger over minor changes to working practices.Grassroots Update
Many of us can readily give examples of waste in the public sector. A couple of weeks ago, a supporter contacted us about the refurbishment of Rotherham Town Hall. This refurbishment has cost taxpayers almost £3 million, with £310K spent on chairs and coverings alone. Worryingly, Rotherham Council tried to hide these costs by refusing to fully answer a Freedom of Information Request from a local newspaper. But then when you then learn that it spent a massive £154K on wallpaper too, you can almost understand that...Best of the Blogs
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Friday, 29 October 2010
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