TaxPayers' Alliance

{{UKpolitics}}
The '''TaxPayers' Alliance''' is a [[British]] pressure group which ostensibly campaigns for a better deal for UK taxpayers but in reality pursues a [[right-wing]] pro-business, [[eurosceptic]] agenda while trying to get as much media coverage as possible.<ref name=guardian2009>[http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/oct/09/taxpayers-alliance-conservative-pressure-group Who is behind the Taxpayers' Alliance?], Robert Booth, The Guardian, 9 October 2009</ref> Its funding is shrouded in secrecy, but it has received money from several wealthy businesspeople and it appears to have close links to the UK [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]].

It is the parent organisation of Taxpayer Scotland,<ref>[http://www.taxpayerscotland.com/who.php Who], Taxpayer Scotland website</ref> which campaigns on a Scottish level, and is frequently quoted in the Scotsman newspaper. It also has a charitable arm PERT (Politics and Economics Research Trust). Its founder Matthew Elliott is one of 2 leaders of Vote Leave, one of the main groups campaigning for Britain to leave the [[European Union]].<ref>[http://www.newstatesman.com/world/2015/10/eu-referendum-campaign-groups-who-s-and-who-s-out The EU referendum campaign groups: who’s In and who’s Out?], New Statesman, 14 October 2015</ref>

It has been accused of being a [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] front by former [[Labour Party]] MP Jon Cruddas and journalists including Polly Toynbee and Kevin Maguire.<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TaxPayers%27_Alliance TaxPayers' Alliance], Wikipedia, accessed 26 January 2016</ref> In 2010 it moved into offices at 55 Tufton Street, London, near other mainly right-wing bodies including [[climate change denial]]ists the [[Global Warming Policy Foundation]] (which is part-funded by fossil fuel companies), [[Adam Smith Institute]], Social Market Foundation, Policy Network, Policy Exchange, Centre for European Reform, Tory Reform Group, Civitas, Centre for Policy Studies and Global Vision; it was also home to Vote Leave and Brexit Central during the campaign around the 2016 [[Brexit]] vote.<ref name=spinwatch/><ref>[http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/energy/2016/07/three-ways-case-brexit-overlaps-climate-scepticism Three ways Brexit overlaps Climate Skepticism], New Statesman, 2016</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63039558 55 Tufton Street: The other black door shaping British politics], BBC News, 27 September 2022</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/may/23/fossil-fuel-funded-thinktank-charity-commission-global-warming Climate sceptic thinktank reported to charity commission over fossil fuel interest funding], The Gurdian, 23 May 2022</ref>

==Prominent members==
;Matthew Elliott: Founder and former Chief Executive, a former researcher for Conservative MEP Timothy Kirkhope. He later led Vote Leave, one of the main campaigning groups in the 2016 [[Brexit]] referendum.<ref>[https://www.newstatesman.com/encounter/2018/09/vote-leave-head-matthew-elliott-brexiteers-won-battle-we-could-lose-war Vote Leave head Matthew Elliott: "The Brexiteers won the battle but we could lose the war"], New Statesman, 5 September 2018</ref>
;Andrew Allum: Co-founder and Chairman until 2019; A management consultant in his day job.
;John O'Connell: Became chief executive in 2016, having worked there since 2009.<ref>[https://www.taxpayersalliance.com/john_o_connell John O'Connell], Taxpayers Alliance website, accessed 3 October 2022</ref>
;Mike Denham: Took over from Allum as chairman in 2019, formerly worked as an economist.<ref>[https://www.taxpayersalliance.com/mike_denham Mike Denham], Taxpayers Alliance website, accessed 3 October 2022</ref>
;Florence Heath: Elliott's wife, became a director.
;Alexander Heath: Elliott's father-in-law, served as a director despite living in France and paying no UK tax.<ref>[http://politicalscrapbook.net/2009/10/taxpayers-alliance-director-pays-no-uk-tax/ Taxpayers' Alliance Director Pays No Tax], Political Scrapbook, 2009</ref>
;Jonathan Isaby: Former Chief Executive, briefly taking the job in 2014.
;Ruth Lea: The former chief economist at Lehman Brothers.
;Susie Squire: Former campaign manager, became a special adviser to Conservative minister [[Iain Duncan Smith]], and Conservative press chief in 2012.<ref>[https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/susie-squire-to-take-over-as-tory-press-chief Susie Squire to take over as Tory press chief], The Spectator, 22 May 2012</ref>
;Stephan Shakespeare: Also behind ConservativeHome website, has chaired meetings for the TPA.
;Matthew Sinclair: Formerly chief executive (and a director of accountancy giant Deloitte), he later became an advisor to Prime Minister Liz Truss.<ref>[https://www.thenational.scot/news/21129321.snp-attack-liz-truss-appointment-economic-adviser-matthew-sinclair/ SNP attack Liz Truss appointment of economic adviser Matthew Sinclair], ''The National'' (Glasgow), 7 September 2022</ref>

==Funding==
A 2009 ''[[The Guardian|Guardian]]'' investigation found that "a large part of its funds come from wealthy donors, many of whom are prominent supporters of the Conservative party."<ref name=guardian2009/> Individual supporters include Anthony Bamford of JCB, Tory and [[UKIP]] donor Stuart Wheeler, and construction company boss Malcolm McAlpine.<ref name=guardian2009/> In 2018, The Guardian reported that it had received $186,000 from secret American donors via an organisation called American Friends of the Taxpayers Alliance, and $100,000 from the [[Templeton foundation]], which is based in the [[Bahamas]] and funds right-wing causes from the legacy of dead financier Sir John Templeton.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/nov/20/taxpayers-alliance-received-hundreds-of-thousands-in-foreign-donations Taxpayers' Alliance received over £223k in foreign donations], ''The Guardian'', 20 Nov 2018</ref>

WhoFundsYou, which rates [[think tank]]s on their openness, rated its transparency as E, its lowest level, for the 2014 financial year, finding it did not declare its annual income, the names of donors, or the size of donations.<ref>[http://whofundsyou.org/org/taxpayers-alliance TaxPayers’ Alliance 2014], Who Funds You</ref> SpinWatch also criticized its lack of transparency in 2012.<ref name=spinwatch>[http://www.spinwatch.org/index.php/pete-roche/item/219-a-closer-look-at-the-taxpayers-alliance A closer look at the TaxPayers’ Alliance], Steven Harkins, SpinWatch, 31 May 2012</ref>

It has also received money from its charitable subsidiary, PERT, although that appears to be against Charity Commission rules.<ref>[http://politicalscrapbook.net/2012/05/taxpayers-alliance-2020-report-charity-funding-pert/ TAXPAYERS’ ALLIANCE REPORT ‘FUNDED BY GIFT AID REBATES FROM TAXPAYER’], Political Scrapbook</ref> and would be hugely hypocritical, given that income directly from taxpayers in the form of gift-aid makes up a sizeable portion of the charities funding.

==Campaigns==
Showing an impressive grasp of [[PR]], it called for the Conservative government elected in 2015 to cut pensioner benefits as soon as possible rather than near the next election in 2020, because by then, current old age pensioners would either be dead or would have forgotten about it.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34439965 Taxpayers' Alliance: Cut pensioner benefits 'immediately'], BBC, 5 October 2015</ref>

It wants to replace the existing National Health Service funded by taxation with an insurance-based system.<ref>[http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/we_need_to_find_a_new_way_to_pay_for_healthcare We need to find a new way to pay for healthcare], TaxPayers Alliance, January 22, 2015</ref>

The TPA seeks to end existing arrangements for funding the BBC, abolish all public-service television, and replace them with a system where viewers pay directly.<ref>[http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/it_s_time_to_switch_off_the_licence_fee It's time to switch off the Licence Fee], TPA, 27 Feb 2015</ref>

It wants to abolish air passenger duty<ref>[http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/scrap_air_passenger_duty_yfugjld5jjqvtxn_xippgpiofwy Scrap air passenger duty], TPA, 2009</ref> and all other green taxes.

As well as campaigning in the UK for lower government spending, against school building, and against any form of wealth tax, it takes a strongly pro-[[Israel]] line, opposing "hate education" in [[Palestine]].<ref name=guardian2009/>

In 2019, ''[[Private Eye]]'' suggested it had a new focus: promoting the business interests of chairman Andrew Allum. The TPA produced a report advocating the use of automation in the National Health Service, which happens to be something that Allum's company LEK Consulting will help you with. This might be pure coincidence, but the organisation still fails to reveal where its money comes from.<ref>"'Appy Days", ''Private Eye'', 3-16 May 2019, p 9</ref>

==Rivals==
An alternative group called [http://taxpayersalliance.org/ The Other Taxpayers’ Alliance] was set up to campaign against the Taxpayers' Alliance while trying to be more representative of British taxpayers, but it shut down in 2011.

==See also==
* [[Charter city]]

==References==
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