Wednesday March 12

Reaction to today's Budget

Matthew Elliott, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said:

“The Chancellor talks the talk about families facing tough economic times but this Budget doesn’t actually do anything to help ordinary taxpayers struggling to pay rising household bills and record levels of taxation. Instead of tax relief, the Chancellor has simply tinkered with the system and brought in hefty rises on the cost a family car and a bottle of wine on the dinner table.”

A more detailed response will follow later...

The TaxPayers' Alliance is happy to offer spokesmen in response to the Budget for live or pre-recorded interviews. To arrange an interview or for further quotes please contact Mark Wallace, TaxPayers' Alliance Campaign Director, on 07736009548.

Media Coverage

- Tax rise on middle class 'highest in West'

MIDDLE-CLASS families are paying an extra pounds 1,250 a year after suffering the sharpest rise in their tax bill of any leading Western country over the past five years, figures show...Matthew Elliott, of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "Tax rises have damaged consumer confidence and reduced families' security and savings - everyone else has realised that this is a harmful policy.''  - Full story

- £220,000 council boss paid more than the PM Chief executive's salary 'totally unjustifiable', say critics

A COUNCIL was criticised yesterday for its "totally unjustifiable'' decision to award its new chief executive a £ 220,000 salary - £ 31,000 more than Gordon Brown earns as Prime Minister...Mark Wallace, of the Taxpayers Alliance, said: "I think many people will be surprised to hear that the person in charge of Suffolk earns more than the person in charge of the whole of Britain. At a time when Suffolk is facing a squeeze on services, people find it very hard to understand how such a large rise from an already generous £ 150,000 salary can be justified.'' - Full story

- TAXMAN'S 'SLAP IN THE FACE' FOR RETIRED PENSION FUND VICTIMS

THOUSANDS of workers whose pension schemes collapsed will have their compensation plundered by the taxman...Matthew Elliott of the Taxpayers' Alliance said: 'This is a slap in the face for people who have already been left in dire financial straits. This is a heartless grab by the Treasury that shows they only really have one thing on their mind - squeezing us all for as much money as possible.' - Full story

- CLAMP ON MPs' PERKS

MPs will be forced to produce receipts for expenses over £25 - instead of the current £250 limit - in a bid to end Westminster sleaze rows, it was revealed yesterday...Mark Wallace, of the Taxpayers Alliance, warned the changes did not go far enough. - Full story

Comments

[Acorn]

TPA and BOM fans may want to have a read of the Neil Record account of government fiddling of the public sector pension liability at
http://www.iea.org.uk/files/upld-book428pdf?.pdf

This is an update to Record's seminal work on the subject "Sir Humphrey's Legacy".