Fighting the elephant

Richard North over at EU Referendum has been discussing the importance of the EU in the tax debate - the "elephant in the room", as he puts it. It's definitely a problem, not only tax but in all areas, that the EU is often quietly left to one side by politicians too ashamed or deceitful to admit that they have in fact signed away vast swathes of Parliamentary power and by people fearful of being tarred as euro-obsessive. Doing so is a dis-service to the issue and most of all to the people of Britain who have to foot the bill for the EU and have to live under its undemocratic rules and regulations.

Richard reckons the British think tank world has dropped the ball on the EU, and there are certainly a lot of targets yet to be shot at. There has, though, been a shift recently with the UK MPs' expenses story and the accompanying new focus on transparency and accountability naturally leading the eyes of the media on to Brussels, undeniably one of the least transparent and accountable seats of Government in the Western world. The News of the World, for example, has just started a series of investigate reports into the EU Parliament, which is a good step.

The EU is a massively important issue for all sorts of reasons, many of which fall squarely under the remit of the TPA - and it's something we'll be taking a close look at very soon, so Richard should watch this space. The elephant had better watch its step...

Comments

[Dun Paying]

I think you could do us a great service by taking a close look at the Landfill Tax and associated bureaucracy. There appears to be a real scam going on here - underpinned by EU directives and then implemented in a heavy handed fashion by Whitehall and Local Government. There are a plethora of regulations that have created an nice state-backed business for the waste disposal companies. Time for a spotlight to be cast on this and please don't ignore the role of the elephant.

[Hardeep_Singh]

The EU is certainly a BIG issue and if it wishes to maintain it's status as a viable or for argument's sake semi-viable instrument of a united Europe then it needs to get it's house in order sharpish. The problem will of course lie with the simple fact that the EU as a whole is unaccountable to any body or organisation above it. Thus it's temperant and arrogance will know no bounds and will be nothing more than a target for the freeloaders within our political classes.

It appears to be an overnight invention of Europe acting like the USA, there's a subtle difference. One has evolved into it's current form and the other has just got dressed up and is pretending to be federal.

Indeed I wish the TPA all the best in attempting to highlight the deluge of financial fraud and operational shortcomings of this lethargic entity that's been created.

Just when we were hoping, praying for trimmed down government we get the EU, God help us.

[Agincourt]

After all the lies & deception surrounding the EU's Lisbon Constitutional Reform Treaty, & the lack of a referendum on it, all I want Britain now to do with the EU is to leave it! The expenses corruption scandel at the EU Parliament & the failure of the EU's auditors to be able to sign of thje EU's accounts for 12 years in succession now says it all. Better off out, I say. When? Well now will do very nicely, thank you very much!

[William]

If your review takes place please do not overlook the cost of devolution, regional assemblies and other changes without benefit but classed as improvements to align with EU regions. I suspect the real reason why we have a justice ministry is another EU sponsored change. And then the cost to taxpayers of uncontrolled immigration....

[beachhutman]

There will come a point when Joe Public realises he has been sold out to the EU. BUt it may be my childrens' generation that takes this on. It may be too late for us with the vote on the Constitutional treaty, but the backlash will be huge. Brown will be reviled as heath has been.There will be a serious - mainstream - movement for leaving the EU. There could be violence. The whole of UK has been sold by Brown and co, they have taken the EU bribes of influence and power for ever, and Britain will never forgive them.

[the man from u.n.c.l.e.]

The EU is a totally corrupt political construct. It has not presented balanced accounts for 13 years, is home to a group of failed national politicians riding a gravy train they could only dream of in their national parliaments, and run by a group of unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats.

Mandelsen (bastion of political honesty and integrity) EU trade commissioner openly talks of the "post democratic society" eg the EU decides we obey, we are lied to by the EU's lackeys (constitution referendum, amount of laws made in the EU and then rubber stamped by Westminster) and still the political class pretends membership is good for the UK. Time to leave, vote UKIP.

[Maggie]

A young mother in Bolton has just been fined £300 for putting out her dustbin early. These bureaucrats need stamping on. Most people do not realise how the EU is infecting all our lives. Please can we call for a national strike "withholding our Council Tax" on a certain date to wake up these madmen and get back to some semblance of normality in the Country. We are pensioners, paying over £2,000 pa to fund the pensions of these overzealous, overpaid Council officials who are implementing the draconian rules set by Brussels.

[the man from u.n.c.l.e]

A tax strike is a good idea, but only if millions of people do it. Sadly, the Brits are totally apathatic and that is why the EU and its sock puppet local parliament, formerly know as HM Gov) get away with it.