The TaxPayers' Alliance | Media Coverage

Garstang Courier: Sponsored by Chunnel link leaves £4.8bn debt

media — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 14:56:13 +0000

Matthew Sinclair, director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “DfT case for HS2 is based on a number of flawed assumptions, including a new set of unrealistic passenger forecasts, but ministers are preparing to spend £32 billion on what risks being a humongous white elephant.

“There are higher priorities than a train line that will only benefit a fortunate minority, while costing well over £1,000 for every family in Britain. It would be a dereliction of duty of the part of the Government if it does not follow the committee’s advice and conduct a thorough cost benefit analysis of HS2 before another single penny of taxpayers’ money is spent on the project.”

Wales Online: Hunt for council’s new chief costs £32,000

media — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 14:39:53 +0000

Robert Oxley, from the Taxpayers’ Alliance campaign group, told the Gazette: “Local taxpayers already pay enough for the salary of Bridgend council’s chief executive without having to fork out tens of thousands of pounds to recruit a new one.”

Daily Post: Bridgend council is spending more than £30,000 of taxpayers’ money on recruiting their new chief executive, the Gazette has learned

media — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 11:27:30 +0000

ALL FM: TPA Campaign Manager Robert Oxley argued that taxpayers are getting a poor deal out of the EU today therefore it was time for a debate about relationship today, not in 4 years’ time

media — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:57:18 +0000

BBC Hereford and Worcester: TPA Campaign Manager discussed the size of redundancies made at local councils in the area

media — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:56:49 +0000

Mail Online: Taxpayers will no longer have shock bills written off under Extra-Statutory Concession A19 rule

media — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:11:58 +0000

Robert Oxley, Campaign Manager of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said these kinds of amnesties could be avoided if the Revenue simplified it’s unwieldy tax code.

‘HMRC spends so much time chasing down unpaid tax because of the overly complex and loophole-ridden tax system it’s trying to administer,’ he said.

‘Reform of our weighty tax code is needed or these same problems will continue to occur at the end of every financial year.

‘A simpler system would reduce the need for amnesties and ensure that the taxman collects more of what he expects in the first place without having to hunt down revenue months later.’

Scotsman.com: Tram chiefs warned over £500k Backlash

media — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 10:42:32 +0000

Robert Oxley, of The Taxpayers’ Association, said: “Just when you thought they couldn’t waste any more money on this project, tram bosses find a way.

“It’s barmy to hire so many staff so far in advance of the line opening, it will only add to the bill if the project is delayed yet again. The tram line has been one expense after another.”

This is Sussex: Anger at Crawley Borough Council £1,500 Olympic torch map bill

media — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 10:30:31 +0000

Robert Oxley from the Taxpayers’ Alliance said: “A seven-year-old could have drawn that.

“It would have been a good project to give to a primary school.

“It’s absurd how much has been spent on simply drawing a red line along a map, and that is on top of a bill for a magazine that taxpayers could have done without.

“People are excited about the Olympics and the Torch relay but that doesn’t justify cash-strapped Crawley Borough Council spending thousands.”

Scottish Sun: Line your pockets with tram cash

media — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 10:29:18 +0000

Taxpayer Scotland’s Robert Oxley said: “Just when you thought they couldn’t waste any more money, tram bosses find a way.

“It’s barmy to hire so many staff so far in advance of the line opening.

“Naturally there will need to be some lead-in time to train staff — but two years seems excessive. Taxpayers will wonder if they will ever get to use the line they have paid so much for.”

Daily Mail: Civil servants doing union work cost taxpayers £36m a year

media — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 10:27:04 +0000

“A report last year by the TaxPayers’ Alliance campaign group showed that £11million was spent by the NHS on funding trade union reps and a further £1 million by fire services.”

Echo News: Essex County Council taxpayers’ £279m bill for building schools on Canvey

media — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 10:23:49 +0000

However, a spokesman for the Taxpayers’ Alliance, which campaigns for lower taxes and better government, sounded a note of caution.

A spokesman said: “Financing major investments is always going to come with some kind of cost attached. But Essex County Council needs to be particularly careful at a time when the financing costs through regular borrowing are particularly low.

“With big projects, PFI can be a good way to transfer the risk to private sector firms. However, taxpayers have been let down in the past by badly negotiated contracts that are poor value for money.”

The Commentator: Leaked UK Foreign Office documents reveal attitudes towards Netanyahu and Palestinian incitement

media — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 10:21:05 +0000

“The text, which was then uncovered by TaxPayers’ Alliance Founder Matthew Elliott, reveals information about the FCO approach to Benjamin Netanyahu and the wider Middle East peace process”

Telegraph.co.uk: Quango staff awarded £1,000 each to wind down agency

media — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 10:15:33 +0000

Matthew Sinclair, director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance campaign group, said: “It is completely unacceptable, but unfortunately not surprising, that bosses at EEDA have squandered taxpayers’ money inappropriately.

“The failed quango was rightly consigned to the scrapheap so the timing of these payments in its dying days appears deeply cynical. Whoever signed them off should be held to account, especially if they remain in taxpayer-funded employment.

“Actions like this remind us why Regional Development Agencies needed to be axed. Taking money from companies and giving back to a favoured few isn’t helping business, especially when so much was wasted along the way.”

Express.co.uk: Cheat given 662 years to pay back £40k

media — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 10:10:54 +0000

Robert Oxley, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “When someone is caught defrauding the system they should have to pay the consequences. A custodial sentence should be considered in cases like this and it shows that there is a need to reform the system.”

Northern Echo: Shildon woman spared prison despite illegally claiming £56,670

media — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 08:49:05 +0000

Last night Robert Oxley, campaign manager of the TaxPayers Alliance, said: “When someone is caught who is defrauding the system they should have to pay the consequences.

“A custodial sentence should be considered in cases like this and it shows that there is a need to reform the system.

“The benefits system is in place for people who need it and it’s not there to be defrauded.”

Express.co.uk: £58m bill in fight to kick out migrants

media — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 08:48:00 +0000

Robert Oxley, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Reform of the immigration system and an end to EU meddling would help cut this ballooning bill.”

This is Bristol: Bombshell from Liam Fox as political comeback launched

media — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 16:48:52 +0000

This is Somerset: MP Liam Fox: It’s time to leave Europe

media — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 16:47:15 +0000

“The speech, which will be hosted by campaign group the Taxpayers’ Alliance, will be viewed as Dr Fox repositioning himself as a champion of the dissatisfied Tory right.”

Guardian.co.uk: Liam Fox: life outside European Union holds no terror

media — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 16:39:11 +0000

“In a speech at a Westminster event organised by the pressure group the TaxPayers’ Alliance, Fox said he wanted to start a genuine debate ‘with all options on the table’ about how the UK sees its relationship with Europe.”

Express.co.uk: Give us vote to leave EU now

media — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 16:38:20 +0000

“The PM’s article appeared on the eve of an outspoken attack on the drive towards an ever-closer EU by his former Defence Secretary Liam Fox. He will say today in a speech to the TaxPayers’ Alliance campaign group: “We must free ourselves from the dogma of ‘ever closer union’ that has been a handicap on every government since the 1970s.”