Tory tax allies ’subsidised’ by the taxpayer | Politics | The Guardian .
As they might say “This is an outrageous waste of taxpayer money.”
Of course they might add “These are funds being routed through an unaccountable quango to be used for an unaccountable purpose.”
But I would not possibly do that.
The Other TaxPayers’ Alliance | Massaging the figures: the Public Sector Rich List.
Clifford Singer exposes the Taxpayer’s Alliance data on the public sector rich list for what it is - bogus and inconsistent data.
More importantly, as he notes:
If the TPA showed any concern for the lowest paid - for example by supporting rather than attacking a living wage - the Public Sector Rich List might appear less like another cynical attempt to undermine the public sector in general.
Remember what the Taxpayer’s Alliance is: a far right pressure group from beyond the fringes of the Conservative party, funded (it seems) by the Institute of Directors, at least in part, to undermine the fabric of our society as represented by the welfare state with its inherent logic of a universal right to education health and well being.
The Taxpayers’ Alliance may finally have over-reached themselves. They have just launched a cinema advert claiming the EU costs each UK citizen £2,000 per year. As Left Foot Forward show, the actual figure is £15 per year according to the EU Budget. That’s not a typo: the TPA are genuinely claiming that each UK taxpayer pays £1,985 more than the figure stated by the EU.
Left Foot Forward are asking people to complain to the Advertising Standards Authority here. It would be great if the TPA’s rather, shall we say, ‘relaxed’ approach to fiscal data got a formal rap but I think hitching themselves so closely and publicly to a cause beloved of the hard right reveals to everyone where they really stand. It is also worth noting that the advert (rather subliminally) includes a clip of Gordon Brown stating that the “UK benefits from EU membership” while an anxious taxpayer looks at the bill from the EU. And there was I believing the TPA didn’t get involved in party politics.
Of course, none of this will make any difference to their high profile in the right wing press but it does make it ever more difficult for reputable and unbiased media sources to use them as a neutral voice. As the Other Taxpayers’ Alliance pointed-out a couple of weeks ago, the BBC seem to be getting increasingly wary of the TPA.
It all points to a paradox in the TPA strategy: as their profile and their confidence grows, the more people (and journalists) become aware of who they really are. As a result, it becomes more difficult for them to pull off the trick of claiming to be the disinterested voice of the ordinary taxpayer. You can fool some of the people some of the time etc…
NB: this blog originally on the Touchstone blog by Adam Lent but too good to miss
The Other TaxPayers’ Alliance | BBC admits errors in TaxPayers’ Alliance reporting.
In a recent post we asked who would be the first journalist to quote the TaxPayers’ Alliance and its “partners” – the Drivers’ Alliance and Big Brother Watch – in the same story?
The bad news is that the BBC almost won the accolade, scoring two out of three for its report, “Drivers ‘losing out’ to railways”. The good news is that an Other TPA member complained and received the following reply from BBC News Interactive UK Editor Pat Heery:
“I accept your point that we should have picked up on the link between the two alliances we quoted in our story. But, while the Taxpayers Alliance can be accused of many things, this was a legitimate report, carrying a rebuttal from another voice.
“I do not think that all Taxpayers Alliance stories have to be balanced by comments from The Other Taxpayers Alliance. However I have asked staff to avoid reporting stories which are generated solely by the Taxpayers Alliance and, where we do quote them, that we supply some context as to who they are.”
That is progress! Well done The Other TaxPayers’ Alliance
Taxpayers’ Alliance? Not in our name | Sunder Katwala | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk .
More on the gross misrepresentations of the Taxpayer’s Alliance .
The Taxpayer’s Alliance displays its insanity, day by day.
Just read the linked article.
Taking taxpayers for a ride / Features / Home - Morning Star.
Good analysis of the Taxpayer’s Alliance - exposing it for what it really is.
Hat tip to Carol Wilcox
Adam Lent suggests the Taxpayer’s Alliance have lost touch with reality
No news there - but this time tyhey prove they’re just barking mad
NB: I advise the TUC
Hard to imagine anyone would be stupid enough to partner the far-right Taxpayer’s Alliance.
So please step forward the Institute of Directors to propose such enlightened policies as freezing basic state pensions and cutting help for children from the poorest families, free TV licences for pensioners and other such unlightened action all designed with one purpose in mind: to make the best off richer and the poorest poorer.
And these people get air time for this programme for poverty creation.
Staggering.
