The TaxPayers' Alliance - Campaign

Plymouth City Council oversteps the mark

As reported in the Times and Mail today, Plymouth City Council is asking households to nominate a family member to be prosecuted should the wrong rubbish end up in the wrong bin.  In addition, Town Hall snoopers want to know all sorts of personal information about their residents, including details of medical conditions, personal habits and lifestyles. 

This amounts to a disgusting assault on the privacy of the individual and family as well as council-overreach.  They’re the ones with responsibility for cleaning the bins.  Residents do not pay their Council Tax to be taken to court because some kid walking by threw a used can in the wrong bin.  It’s sheer lunacy.

Councils are meant to be municipal stewards of open spaces and public places, bin collection and road maintenance.  Threatening people with court orders and ploughing the depths of individual personal information is so far beyond their remit it’s a dot on the horizon.  Sadly, this all has worrying echoes of a story back in December last year where Town Halls attempted to prise more information out of taxpayers.

These councillors must therefore be held to account.  The Leader of the Council is Vivien Pengelley.  When contacting her, be sure you receive a reply from her and not some officer reeled out to take the flak.  Michael Leaves is the Cabinet member for the environment who thought up this policy in the first place - so see that you get some answers from him and not the departmental officers.  We want the councillors’ views and justifications, not backroom bureaucratic apologia.

The following councillors sit on the cabinet – they have the power to stop this ridiculous policy so ask them:

• Will they overturn the policy to request residents’ personal information for bin collections?
• If they won’t overturn the policy, why do they want residents’ personal information?
• If they agree with this policy will they make their own personal medical information – as well as other information requested – public?  Or is it one rule for them and one rule for the rest of us?

Cabinet Members:
Cllr Vivien Pengelly - vivien.pengelly@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 304950
Cllr Ted Fry - ted.fry@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 298457
Cllr Ian Bowyer - ian.bowyer@plymouth.gov.uk / 01752 784342
Cllr Peter Brookshaw - peter.brookshaw@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 703234
Cllr Glenn Jordan - glenn.jordan@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 492889
Cllr Michael Leaves - michael.leaves@plymouth.gov.uk / 01752 304139
Cllr Grant Monahan - grant.monahan@plymouth.gov.uk / 01752 560101
Cllr Steven Ricketts - steven.ricketts@plymouth.gov.uk / 07810 878491
Cllr Dr David Salter - david.salter@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 513605
Cllr Kevin Wigens - kevin.wigens@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 304139

It’s also worth lobbying the Full Council to urge them to bring this issue up at the next Council meeting and forward a motion against this clear breach of privacy and indefensible use of Council power.  Ask them:

• Whether they are for/against the current policy and why.
• Whether the Full Council was consulted and whether a vote was taken to ask people to provide medical information when they nominated a family member with responsibility for rubbish disposal.
• Whether they will move a motion at the next Council to strike down the policy.

Cllr Mary Aspinall - mary.aspinall@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 667585
Cllr Richard Ball - richard.ball@plymouth.gov.uk / 01752 310682
Cllr Terri Beer - terri.beer@plymouth.gov.uk / 07919 284531
Cllr Peter Berrow - 01752 667966
Cllr Lynda Bowyer - lynda.bowyer@plymouth.gov.uk / 01752 784342
Cllr Gloria Bragg - gloria.bragg@plymouth.gov.uk / 07747 710315
Cllr Thomas Browne - tom.browne@plymouth.gov.uk / 01752 290627
Cllr Mark Coker - mark.coker@plymouth.gov.uk / 01752 308313
Cllr Susan Dann - susan.dann@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 512939
Cllr Edward Delbridge - edward.delbridge@plymouth.gov.uk
Cllr Jill Dolan - jill.dolan@plymouth.gov.uk / 01752 562339
Cllr Jonathan Drean - jonathan.drean@plymouth.gov.uk / 01752 701394
Cllr Tudor Evans - tudor.evans@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 218314
Cllr Wendy Foster - wendy.foster@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 403297
Cllr Ken Foster - kenneth.foster@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 403297
Cllr Michael Foster - michael.foster@plymouth.gov.uk / 01752 344107
Cllr Andy Fox - andy.fox@plymouth.gov.uk / 07816 527202
Cllr Ian Gordon - ian.gordon@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 331431
Cllr David James - david.j.james@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 343165
Cllr Andy Kerswell - andy.kerswell@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 269472
Cllr Mark King - mark.king@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 511571
Cllr Samantha Leaves - samantha.leaves@plymouth.gov.uk / 01752 518765
Cllr Martin Leaves - martin.leaves@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 518765
Cllr Sally Letcher - sally.letcher@plymouth.gov.uk / 01752 304139
Cllr John Lock - john.lock@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 331051
Cllr Mark Lowry - mark.lowry@plymouth.gov.uk / 01752 299728
Cllr Dr John Mahony - john.mahony@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 565652
Cllr Susan McDonald - susan.mcdonald@plymouth.gov.uk / 01752 668910
Cllr Bernard Miller - bernard.miller@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 776452
Cllr Jean Nelder - jean.nelder@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 227352
Cllr Patricia Nicholson - patricia.nicholson@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 348881
Cllr Patrick Nicholson - patrick.nicholson@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 347474
Cllr Christopher Pattison - christopher.pattison@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 341703
Cllr Pauline Purnell - pauline.purnell@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 562281
Cllr Eddie Rennie - eddie.rennie@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 603796
Cllr David Reynolds - david.reynolds2@plymouth.gov.uk / 01752 312061
Cllr Brian Roberts - brian.roberts@plymouth.gov.uk / 01752 776924
Cllr Peter Smith - peter.smith@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 345084
Cllr David Stark - david.stark@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 774331
Cllr Sally Stephens - sally.stephens@plymouth.gov.uk
Cllr Bill Stevens - william.stevens@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 251713
Cllr Jack Thompson - jack.thompson@plymouth.gov.uk / 07732 839515
Cllr Brian Vincent - brian.vincent@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 316902
Cllr David Viney - david.viney@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 402673
Cllr Joan Watkins - joan.watkins@plymouth.gov.uk / 01752 216849
Cllr George Wheeler - george.wheeler@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 362511
Cllr Nicky Wildy - nicky.wildy@plymouth.gov.uk / (01752) 556008

If you’re sat there seething at Plymouth City Council’s barking policy, then do something about it.  It’ll only take you 5 minutes to send some councillors an email asking them why they decided to trample over individual freedoms as British taxpayers give more and more of their hard earned money to Councils.  But we have to maintain a strong presence so politicians know we’re watching them, holding them to account and that we won’t let them abuse their power and waste our money.  If you do get any responses, please let me know by forwarding them to me at the regular email address.

Poole Council spies on a family for three weeks

In May I will have been at the TPA for a year.  In that year, I have not seen anything as disgraceful as in today’s Daily Mail.  Poole Council used legislation, written and sold to us on the idea it would help track terrorists, to spy on a family they suspected of living outside a school catchment area. 

The Regulation of Investigative Powers Act 2000 was introduced on the grounds that it would boost national security.  Poole Council, being a creative sort, went well over their remit by using the powers to snoop on families.  They monitored this unnamed family for three weeks, with intentions to stop them sending their children to a good school if they lived outside the catchment area. 

In an almost comical scene, the Mail describes how council officers wrote reports as if they were in a cheap Spooks rip-off.  On your buck, council hatchetmen kept detailed notes, going as far as to record when the lights were on in the family home.  To add insult to injury, we don’t even know how long Poole Council will keep the family’s information and what they will use it for. 

This time it was Poole Council spying on people to see they send their children to the ‘right’ school.  What will they use it on next?  But clearly this is a worrying trend.  East Hampshire Council announced this week they will be phoning people who leave ‘too much’ rubbish outside to ask them why, what are they throwing away, etc.  Basildon Council sent bureaucrats up and down streets to go through people’s rubbish to see if any recyclable goods were being thrown away.  Inch by inch these Town Hall bureaucrats are invading our private lives - and we're paying for it year after year in ever-increasing Council Tax. 

Someone has to carry the can for this gross invasion of privacy.  Please contact Poole’s Councillors to ask them to investigate this obscene breach of privacy.  Here are the contact details:

Cllr Peter Adams - p.adams@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Jeff Allen - jeff.allen@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Elaine Atkinson - p.gill@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Michael Brooke - m.brooke@poole.gov.uk
Cllr David Brown - d.brown@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Chris Bulteel - c.bulteel@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Les Buden - l.burden@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Judy Butt - j.butt@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Graham Chandler - g.chandler@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Brian Clements - b.clements@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Donald Collier - d.collier@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Graham Curtis - g.curtis@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Carole Deas - c.deas@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Xena Dion - x.dion@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Philip Eades - p.eades@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Carol Evans - c.evans@poole.gov.uk
Cllr David Gillard - d.gillard@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Roger Gregory - r.gregory@poole.gov.uk
Cllr May Haines - m.haines@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Joyce Lavender - j.lavender@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Brian Leverett - b.leverett@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Daphne Long - d.long@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Peter Maiden - p.maiden@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Daniel Martin - daniel.martin@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Graham Mason - g.mason@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Christopher Matthews - c.matthews@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Charles Meachin - c.meachin@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Guy Montrose - g.montrose@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Sandra Moore - s.moore@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Ron Parker - r.parker@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Michael Plummer - m.plummer@poole.gov.uk
Cllr John Rampton - j.rampton@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Neil Sorton - n.sorton@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Ann Stribley - a.stribley@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Tony Trent - t.trent@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Janet Walton - j.walton@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Mike White - mike.white@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Michael Wilkins - m.wilkins@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Graham Wilson - g.wilson@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Lindsay Wilson - lindsay.wilson@poole.gov.uk
Cllr Tony Woodcock - t.woodcock@poole.gov.uk

Do please contact these councillors and ask them who is responsible for issuing the orders that sent council bureaucrats to spy on people.  Ask them how many times since 2000 the RIPA has been used to spy on people.  It’s also worthwhile that you ask your council whether they have been spying on you like Poole Council has. 

Finally, as a philosophical note, this debacle reminded me of this famous quote from Proudhon:

“"To be GOVERNED is to be watched, inspected, spied upon, directed, law-driven, numbered, regulated, enrolled, indoctrinated, preached at, controlled, checked, estimated, valued, censured, commanded, by creatures who have neither the right nor the wisdom nor the virtue to do so. To be GOVERNED is to be at every operation, at every transaction noted, registered, counted, taxed, stamped, measured, numbered, assessed, licensed, authorized, admonished, prevented, forbidden, reformed, corrected, punished. It is, under pretext of public utility, and in the name of the general interest, to be placed under contribution, drilled, fleeced, exploited, monopolized, extorted from, squeezed, hoaxed, robbed; then, at the slightest resistance, the first word of complaint, to be repressed, fined, vilified, harassed, hunted down, abused, clubbed, disarmed, bound, choked, imprisoned, judged, condemned, shot, deported, sacrificed, sold, betrayed; and to crown all, mocked, ridiculed, derided, outraged, dishonored. That is government; that is its justice; that is its morality."
- P. J. Proudhon, General Idea of Revolution in the Nineteenth Century

I'm starting to think he had a point...

A spit in the face of hardworking taxpayers

Bournemouth Council, in all its arrogance, voted itself the proposed pay deal we tirelessly campaigned against over the past two weeks.  Last Thursday the Council awarded themselves a 17% pay increase, the Cabinet gave themselves an astonishing 32% pay increase and the leader awarded himself a 34% pay increase.  In the same meeting, the Council voted for a 4.9% Council Tax increase, the maximum amount given the 5% cap imposed on councils.  You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to know where your Council Tax rise is going.

Despite persistent lobbying from hard-working TaxPayers’ Alliance activists and campaigners, we managed to rally the opposition on Bournemouth Council to stand against these rises recommended by an independent panel which, as it turned out, wasn’t that independent at all. 

Bournemouth Council is yet to publish online the minutes for the Full Council meeting, but nevertheless if you are still unaware how your councillor voted you can click the link here to find your councillor’s contact details.  Already the Bournemouth Echo story reporting the massive pay hike has 94 comments from apoplectic taxpayers demanding action over such snout-in-the-trough greed.  Feel free to add your disgust at this prime example of gravy-train politics.

If you’re angry, then help us form a Bournemouth branch of the TaxPayers’ Alliance.  If you want to hold these politicians to account, then join us and contact me to get involved.  We showed Bournemouth Council our strength in the sheer number of activists who lobbied and contacted Bournemouth councillors to protest against the pay increases.  Although we didn’t get the result we wanted, we came close as I understand there were wobbles from several Tory councillors who knew just how unpopular this pay deal was.  With your help next time, with your input we can force the politicians to climb down and see that you, the taxpayer, have had a direct say over how they spend your money.  Nothing will change if you don’t get involved!

How you can help taxpayers this Thursday!

This Thursday will see Bournemouth Council vote on its pay increases we detail here.  Since last Thursday we’ve been lobbying hard for the full council to reconsider this plan and we have to keep up the pressure.  How can it be right that a council loses a star rating from the Audit Commission then uses a 4.9% Council Tax increase to push their salaries up by well over 17% for councillors, and 30%+ for the cabinet.

In the real world, if you or I don’t get results – we lose our jobs.  Yet Bournemouth’s Cabinet think they can get away with rewarding failure.

Not on my watch!

If you’re free on Thursday evening and live in or around Bournemouth, please go to the Full Council on Thursday 21 February at 7PM and sit in the public gallery, as is your right.  You can also put a question to Bournemouth Council’s Cabinet by simply emailing sarah.coley@bournemouth.gov.uk with your question on councillor pay BY 6PM TONIGHT.

Ask them why they want to reward failure with taxpayers’ money!

You can find travel directions here and a map to the Town Hall here.

Please turn up and make your voice heard.  But also if you can’t turn up, please continue to lobby Bournemouth’s councillors.  You can find the contact details of those we have not heard replies from here.

It’s times like these that we can challenge the mistaken belief that you can’t change anything in politics.  We’re close to achieving a breakthrough for direct taxpayer lobbying, normal people campaigning to stop politicians wasting our money.  You can make that change.  By just taking that small amount of time in your day to lobby Bournemouth Council, you could save the taxpayer money.  Not bad for 10 minutes work…

Keep the pressure on Bournemouth Council

Dear TPA supporters,

Thank you to all those who lobbied Bournemouth’s councillors this past weekend over their pay deal that would see their salaries rise by 17%, the cabinet by 32% and the leader by 34%.  This pay deal comes after Bournemouth council dropped a star to a 2 star rating from the Audit Commission, compared to 83% of other councils who have 3 or more stars.  We can’t allow councils like Bournemouth to use taxpayers’ money to reward failure! 

As a result of our lobbying, the following councillors have declared they will vote against the pay deal:

Basil Ratcliffe
Pat Lewis
Claire Smith 
Richard Smith
Roger West
Carol Ainge
Sue Levell
Ronald Whittaker

Therefore can I ask that you no longer lobby these councillors and concentrate on those that haven’t replied to emails or are wavering?

Some councillors have yet to make up their mind.  Please make these points to the undecided councillors to express taxpayers’ frustration at the pay deal:
(a) The Independent Remuneration Panel only makes unbinding recommendations to councillors on their pay – they can reject the deal.
(b) Bournemouth can lead the way in delivering taxpayer value for money by rejecting the pay deal.
(c) The government can barely afford to give front line public servants - police and teachers – more money.  What message does it send when councillors give themselves a 17% pay increase?
(d) If they reply asking if you’re a constituent, be honest.  Even if you don’t live in Bournemouth, your taxes go to fund local government under the granting system.  This is not just a local issue and they should have to explain how a pay increase of 17, 32 and 34% would be value for money and see an increase in councillor activity by such rates. 
(e) Finally, if they will vote for the pay deal, ask them if Bournemouth council’s level of service will go up by the same percentage.

The wavering councillors you should direct these points to are:

Cllr Robert Lawton (Con) - 07974 215933 / robert.lawton@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Andrew Morgan (Con) - andrew.morgan@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Rod Cooper (Con) - rod.cooper@bournemouth.gov.uk

All other councillors are yet to respond, so please keep lobbying them.  You can find the contact details for the other councillors by following this link to our campaign blog.

As you can see already, we’re getting some good coverage of this campaign.  There’s only three days left for us to capitalise and lobby to get Bournemouth Council to back down over this pay deal.  Please take only five minutes of your day to contact Bournemouth’s councillors and fight on behalf of Bournemouth’s taxpayers. 

Thank you for all your help and efforts, keep up the excellent work!

Best wishes,

Tim Aker
Grassroots Coordinator
www.taxpayersalliance.com

Can you spare just 5 minutes of your day?

Yesterday we blogged this story here about Bournemouth Council’s cabinet approving a salary deal that would see their pay skyrocket by 32%.  Within this pay package is a 36% increase for the Deputy Leader and a 34% increase for the Leader of the council, taking his salary to £36,000 a year!  These recommendations by the council’s ‘Independent’ Remuneration Panel were all passed by the Cabinet, without debate, this week.  Next week the Full Council votes on this remuneration package.  It’s up to us to lobby the council to reject this pay hike. 

If you’re living in Bournemouth, can you say that the quality of council services has gone up by 34%?  Of course not.  The Audit Commission report last week gave Bournemouth Council a mere 2 star rating.  To compare, the Audit Commission have 3 or 4 stars to 83% of all councils meaning Bournemouth Council has to justify this excessive pay rise for, what has been judged as, under performance.

Bournemouth’s taxpayers need your help.  Please take five minutes out of your day to send an email or call a Bournemouth Councillor to ask them to challenge and reject the councillor remuneration package at the next Full Council meeting on Thursday 21st February.

Below is a list of Bournemouth’s Councillors and their phone and email details.  Please call or email one, two or even all of them if you have the time and lobby them to reject the pay deal on Thursday.  If you can’t or don’t have the time to make these calls or send emails then please pass this blog onto other concerned taxpayers who want to do something about spiralling councillor salaries and high council tax.  The point is to urge these councillors to put taxpayer value-for-money first.  Politely ask the councillors to challenge the pay deal and to vote against it. 

Cllr Alexander Adams (Con) - 07968 123484 / alexander.adams@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Carol Ainge (Lib Dem) - carol.ainge@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Mark Anderson (Con) - 01202 775483 / mark.anderson@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Sue Anderson (Con) - 01202 397047 / sue.anderson@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Linda Bailey (Con) - linda.bailey@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Beryl Baxter (Labour) - Beryl.baxter@Bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr John Beesley (Con) - 07860 391219 / john.beesley@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Derek Borthwick (Independent) - derek.borthwick@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Robert Chapman (Con) - 01202 532778 /  robert.chapman@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Stephen Chappell (Con) - stephen.chappell@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Peter Charon (Con) - 07775556132 / 01202299996 / peter.charon@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Eddie Coope (Con) - eddie.coope@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Elaine Cooper (Con) - elaine.cooper@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Rod Cooper (Con) - rod.cooper@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Nigel Cowley (Con) - 07709 431241 / nigel.cowley@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Sue Cowley (Con) - 07709 431241 / sue.cowley@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Malcolm Davies (Con) - malcolm.davies@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Heather Drayton (Con) - heather.drayton@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Beverley Dunlop (Con) - 07855 395117 / beverley.dunlop@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Michael Everingham (Independent) - 0794 115 2242 / michael.everingham@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Anne Filer (Con) - 01202 399205 / anne.filer@bournemouth.gov.uk; mayor@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Michael Filer (Con) - michael.filer@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Barry Goldbart (Con) - 07734 211750 / barry.goldbart@bournemouth.gov.uk

Cllr Nicola Greene (Con) - 07961 936387 / nicola.greene@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Michael Griffiths (Con) - 07815 817222 / michael.griffiths@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Ben Grower (Labour) - 07714 344635 / ben.grower@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Paul Hughes (Con) - 07732 169122 / paul.hughes@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr David Kelsey (Con) - 07816 417675 / david.kelsey@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Nick King (Con) - 07771727402 / nick.king@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Ian Lancashire (Con) - ian.lancashire@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Robert Lawton (Con) - 07974 215933 / robert.lawton@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Sue Levell (Lib Dem) - Sue.Levell@Bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Pat Lewis (Lib Dem) - 07742 900717 / pat.lewis@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Stephen Macloughlin (Con) - 01202 513229 / stephen.macloughlin@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Jane Montrose (Con) - 07843 062222 / jane.montrose@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Andrew Morgan (Con) - andrew.morgan@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Ian Newport (Con) - 07971 602296 / ian.newport@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Lisa Northover (Lib Dem) - 07515355982 / lisa.northover@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Lynda Price (Con) - lynda.price@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Basil Ratcliffe (Con) - basil.ratcliffe@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Anne Rey (Independent) - 07973 814382 / anne.rey@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Christopher Rochester (Con) - christopher.rochester@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Allister Russell (Con) - allister.russell@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr David Shaw (Con) - 07951 511287 / david.shaw@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Claire Smith (Lib Dem) - Claire.smith@Bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr David Smith (Con) - 07832 186424 / david.smith@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Richard Smith (Lib Dem) - 0780 8227276 / richard.smith@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Philip Stanley-Watts (Con) - philip.stanley-watts@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Ted Taylor (Labour) - ted.taylor@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr John Trickett (Con) - 07910 011239 / john.trickett@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Christopher Wakefield (Con) - 07775 677162 / christopher.wakefield@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Michael Weinhonig (Con) - 07877 430667 / michael.weinhonig@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Roger West (Lib Dem) - roger.west@bournemouth.gov.uk
Cllr Ronald Whittaker (Independent) - ronald.whittaker@bournemouth.gov.uk

This is a test of our grassroots campaigns.  If we make enough calls to Bournemouth’s councillors and show the strength of feeling against this incredibly high pay deal at the taxpayer’s expense, we can show other councils that we won’t tolerate unjust increases elsewhere.  Please take just 5 minutes to make that call or send that email that could make all the difference.  Do let us know how many calls you’ve made and blind copy me (tim.aker@taxpayersalliance.com) into the emails you send.  The activist who lobbies the most will get a free copy of ‘How to label a goat’ by Ross Clark as a way to thank you for your dedication. 

Finally, pass on this blog to anyone interested who might want to get involved in our grassroots campaign for lower taxes.  This is your campaign, it's time we made our voice heard! 

Bournemouth council pay increase - get involved!

Who reading this can say they’ve had a 34% pay increase this year, or could expect one next year?  If you’re the leader of Bournemouth Council, you can because you just voted for it.  The decision by Bournemouth Council’s cabinet to increase their pay takes the leader’s salary to £36,000 a year.  Cabinet members  will also see an increase of 32%.  In fact, Bournemouth councillors can hand themselves a staggering increase of 17%, all coming from recommendations put forward by the council’s ‘Independent’ Remuneration Panel to be voted on at next week’s council meeting.

But the fight isn’t over.  Bournemouth Council’s cabinet may have approved this, but the Council hasn’t voted on it yet.  There is still time to fight this outrageous pay increase.

This is where you come in as independent campaigning taxpayers.  You’re paying for these snouts in the trough scrambling to fill their pockets with your money.  It’s time for you to stand up and make your voice heard.

First, call your local radio station to ask them to run a story on this.  BBC Radio Solent covers Dorset, so call their news desk on 02380 631 311 or send an email to radio.solent@bbc.co.uk.

You can contact BBC Dorset on 01305 250992 or by email at dorset@bbc.co.uk to get them to run a story on this on the BBC website.

Write to your local newspaper urging Bournemouth’s taxpayers to complain to their councillor.  Simply send an email to the Bournemouth Echo at newsdesk@bournemouthecho.co.uk

Hold your councillor to account and ask them to vote against this increase next week.  You can find your councillor by clicking here.  Ask them why they increased council tax, why they increased their pay but also plead poverty in claiming Bournemouth is a ‘cash strapped’ council.  It might be worth sending an email to the leader of Bournemouth Council, Stephen Macloughlin, by sending him an email to stephen.macloughlin@bournemouth.gov.uk asking why he deserves an increase of 34%.  If you get a reply, let me know by forwarding it to tim.aker@taxpayersalliance.com.  It would be interesting to see how he defends himself to such scrutiny.

Finally, recruit to the TaxPayers’ Alliance.  If Bournemouth sees a massive rise in TPA membership as a result of this, the politicians will know the people are fed up of their Gravy Train politics and want a fairer deal.  By joining the TPA you’ll tell the politicians you want lower taxes, you want transparent and accountable government and that you’re not going to sit by as professional politicians bleed scarce resources from frontline services.

Councillor to vote for lower taxes!

It’s that time of year again, when we hear of our council tax and other local taxes going up and up.  Yet we’re seeing more and more elected representatives standing up for the taxpayer and committing themselves to fighting against tax increases.  First we reported how Hammersmith and Fulham council are cutting council tax for the second year running.  Now TPA activist Cllr Neil Martin of Wembury Parish Council explains here why he will be voting against his local Parish Precept increase at tonight’s Parish Council meeting:

“Currently, I serve as a member of a fairly well off parish council in Devon. Last year, I promised to vote against any rise in our precept and to produce an alternative budget. Although we’ve got few real responsibilities and are at the bottom of the council tax food chain - with the district and county councils, police and fire service all getting in on the act - the only way to demonstrate that services can be provided for a lower cost is to start at the very bottom where people can see things, especially as parish councils are the only tier of local government that is funded wholly by local taxpayers.

However, this isn’t just about high falutin’ principles that I can discard until the next election: it’s a question of efficiency and good budget management.  In common with other parish councils, we’ve got pretty hefty reserves, and we don’t have any major projects planned.  If we were a larger council, questions would be asked - if we were a private company, we’d be giving money back to the shareholders.  We’re in a position to levy a precept of getting on for zero and still have the money to run things for a year: even including an increase in staff costs.

Staffing costs are another issue altogether: here in Devon national pay scales increase costs way beyond comparable jobs locally. This is at a very local level admittedly - I’m not pretending this is a major part of the council tax - but it’s something that will resonate with people in rural areas who wonder why they pay loads and don’t seem to get very much. In a way, we’re lucky that it can even be considered- people in urban areas don’t come close to this kind of relationship with how their money is spent.

So, with families facing rising costs everywhere, and with money in the bank, I will be voting against any precept rise and in favour of a cut.

Cllr. Neil Martin
Wembury Parish Council”

Cllr Martin raises some very good points TPA activists should be asking their district, town and parish councils.  How hefty are their reserves?  Where can savings be made, leading to cuts in the future?  These questions need to be answered so we can hold to account any council that increases taxes.

If you’re an elected councillor, of any party, and you’re making a bold stand against tax hikes, then do get in touch with me so we can publicise your fight for taxpayers and show the depth of support for tax cuts in the country.

Two days, two new TPA organisers

It’s been an exciting two days for the TPA grassroots campaign.  Yesterday activists from Hatfield, St. Albans and Stevenage got together for another meeting to organise yet more campaign activities in Hertfordshire.  They have already handed out well over 400 leaflets in a month, with more on their way.  If you’d like to get involved, their next meeting is on Monday 3rd December at the Ramada Jarvis Hotel in Hatfield so please email TPA organiser Martin Thornhill at stalbandtaxpayersalliance@yahoo.co.uk for more information and to get involved in the one of our leading TPA grassroots campaigns.  Also visit their campaign site  for campaign news and developments in Hertfordshire.

As our branches get stuck in fighting to overturn the high-tax, nanny-state consensus we’ve had two new organisers step forward in the last two days.  TPA supporter Sue Brockbank is looking for fellow activists to help set up a campaign in Oxford.  This can be a crucial area for the TPA, Oxford City Council is dominated by Socialists and Greens meaning that if we score a breakthrough in Oxford, we can start to fight back against those who think it’s no bad thing to increase taxes year on year and show our message resonates everywhere.  If you want to get involved and build a strong TPA campaign to hold the high-spending council to account email Sue at suebrockbank@yahoo.co.uk and please put in the subject 'TaxPayers' Alliance'.

Today I have spoken to Cam Poulter in Wiltshire who wants to get in contact with fellow TPA members in Wiltshire to build a local TPA campaign.  In talking with Cam he’s determined to overturn the consensus and return some low-tax, better government principles to British politics.  If you want to join Cam in Wiltshire email him at cam_poulter@yahoo.co.uk to get involved in the campaign for lower taxes in the South West.

Over the past two days we’ve had campaign developments in three very different areas.  Middle-England Hertfordshire has an excellent, stable and growing TPA branch campaigning for taxpayers.  In Oxford, we’re about to become the dissenting voice for lower taxes in a City run by those who think high taxes are a good thing.  And in rural and suburban Wiltshire we have a determined campaigner willing and ready to hold the government to account. 

Very clearly, our activist base is growing.  In addition to our thousands of supporters, we now have hundreds of activists out there holding our overspending politicians to account.  But we need your help to continue the campaign.  You can donate to the TPA here to help us continue the full time campaign for better government or email me at tim.aker@taxpayersalliance.com to join the campaign and become an activist to spread the low tax message.  Remember that every bit we do, no matter how much, helps the campaign and, as Ronald Reagan said: "There's no limit to what can be achieved if you don't care who takes the credit".

Political-Correctness in Cornwall

TPA supporter Richard Jones has let us know of some political-correctness-gone-mad down in Cornwall.  Local resident Denis Lusby had been publishing a community magazine with news and the odd smattering of humour until the local (*drumroll*) ‘head of equality and diversity’ at Cornwall County Council urged local schools to boycott the newsletter.

The ‘head of equality and diversity’ at Cornwall County Council objected to the humour (and you’ve got to be pretty humourless to work in an equality and diversity directorate).  She found it grossly offensive that some of the jokes were ‘Irish jokes’.  But Denis is Irish himself, taking the jokes as humour rather than ethnic slur, as any balanced individual would take them.

Not surprisingly, the robotic arm of local bureaucracy didn't see sense and continued a campaign against him and now the Newsletter, informing a close-knit rural community of local goings-on, awaits someone else to take over publication…always under the watchful eye of the Sauron-esque equality and diversity officer.

Can’t councils do something better than interfering in our lives.  We want our taxes to support services and not these meddling bureaucrats trying to regulate every single thing we do.

As always, therefore, protest.  Here is the council address of Cornwall County Council’s ‘equality and diversity’ manager, Ginny Harrison-White:

Ginny Harrison-White
16 Carolyn Road
St. Austell
PL25 4AJ
Phone/fax: 01726 77113
Email: gharrisonwhite@cornwall.gov.uk

Also write to the Western Morning News to garner more exposure:

Letters Editor
Western Morning News
17 Brest Road
Derriford
Plymouth
PL6 5AA
Email:  wmnletters@westernmorningnews.co.uk

And/or the Cornish Guardian

Letters Editor
The Cornish Guardian
St Austell Guardian
3 Fore Street
St. Austell
Cornwall
Email:  cgedit@cd-m.co.uk

And/or The Cornish and Devon Post

Letters Editor
Cornish & Devon Post
Tindle House
Westgate Street
Launceston
Cornwall
Tel: 01566 772424
Fax: 01566 778243
Email: g.seccombe@thepost.uk.com

We have to let these bureaucrats in Town Halls know that we’re not going to be dictated to.  It is one thing to have them meddling like this, it’s an insult to injury to know our taxes are being paid to unelected officers who want to regulate our daily lives.  Tell them what you think.  Tell them we’ve had enough!