Talk:Taxpayers' Alliance

review old globalisation material below:

• Andrew Allum Chairman and co-founder of the TPA. Allum's profile on the TPA website informs us that he "Imperial College where he graduated with a First in Physics." and that "Andrew led the student Conservative groups both in Imperial College and across London and sat on the national committee of the student wing of the party." Finally that between "1998 to 2002 Andrew served as a Conservative member of Westminster City Council. He left the party in 2003, having lost faith that it represented his brand of free market, individualist and compassionate politics."

• Matthew Elliot Chief Executive and co-founder of the TPA.Matthew Elliot appears to be the main spokesperson for the TPA. Rather than promote their views in a traditional way the TPA “decided the best way to get their message across in the current media and political was to launch a campaign.” that was “packaged and sold to the media” and “specialises in using the government's own data and Freedom of Information requests to winkle out examples of public sector waste; packaging it up into brief, media-friendly research papers, complete with an eye-catching headline figure to give reporters a ready-made "top line".” Mr Elliot states "So when we present them with some primary source material, it's guaranteed to be a good story." .

The Guardian reports that Mr Elliot is to front a campaign on behalf of the Conservative Party against the alternative vote system, NO 2 AV. The Coalition Government plan to hold a referendum in May 2011 on the preferred voting system.The option of revising the traditional first past the post, with the alternative vote system favoured by the liberal democrats. The The Guardian makes further suggestions that Mr Elliots appointment could weaken the Tory Lib Dem coalition because of his “...drive to educate a new generation of Tory MPs and ministers in the benefits of a smaller state and lower tax bill.” .”

Guardian also reports that,“Elliott, who will stand down as the TPA's spokesman in October, has always denied charges that the alliance – which takes a vocal, populist stance against higher taxes, state activity and the EU – is a "Tory front organisation". But both he and key TPA colleagues have close personal links with the party and with the Tory tabloids.”

Despite denials of links with the conservative party Mr Elliot is a regular contributor to CentreRight .com, the web page claims that “CentreRight.com is a hub for the British conservative movement.” It is a ”multiple-authored blog written by some of the best conservative thinkers and commentators around.” CentreRight.com can be found at ConservativeHome.com. The website states that “It's independent of the Conservative Party but supportive of it.” Also that it “aims to provide comprehensive coverage of Britain's Conservative Party.”

Futhermore the conservative home members panel awarded Matthew Elliot and the taxpayers' alliance The One to Watch award "For championing the beleaguered taxpayer at a time when all mainstream political parties are failing to offer significant relief from Britain's record tax burden." in2007.

Matthew Elliot was presented with the Conservative Way Forward ‘One of Us’ award by William Hague in 2007. “The Conservative Way Forward was founded in 1991 to defend and build upon the achievements of the Conservative Party under the leadership of our Honorary President Lady Thatcher, and to adapt the principles of her era in government to modern concerns and challenges.”The website also proclaims “David Cameron has described them as "the largest and most effective pressure group within the Conservative movement today"..”, The website also list a number of celebrated conservative Members of Parliament and former Cabinet ministers as it friends inclusive of; The Rt Hon Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven LG OM FRS,Christopher Chope OBE MP,The Rt Hon David Davis MP,Dr Liam Fox MP,The Rt Hon William Hague MP,The Rt Hon Lord Parkinson of Carnforth,The Rt Hon Lord Tebbit of Chingford CH. Questioning furthermore the links between the TPA and the Conservative Party.

Elliot is also the chief excecutive of Big Brother Watch,a campaign"Fighting intrusions on privacy and protecting civil liberties"supported by the TPA.

Matthew Elliott was president of libertarian student organisation Hayek Society, London School of Economics in 1999-2000. The aim of this“is to defend and promote classical liberalism and free market economics, while encouraging the free-flow of ideas.”

• Florence Heath is one of the Co-Founders of the Taxpayers’ Alliance and a grassroots campaigner .She grew up in France and came to London to study at Imperial College where she read Geology and completed a Masters in Petroleum Geology. Heath has documented her political activates in her profile at the Taxpayers’ Alliance, where it is affirms that she “…led the student Conservative association at Imperial College for two years as well as the Europe-wide European Young Conservatives, and served on the committees of the local Conservative associations, Conservative Friends of Gibraltar and the cross-party Youth for a Free Europe. She has also been closely involved with the International Young Democrats Union.”

• Sara Rainwater Operations Director
• Emma Bennett Executive Assistant
• Jennifer DunnPolicy, Analyst, Transport and the Environment
• Lee RotherhamPolicy, Analyst, EU
• Mike DenhamResearch, FellowCampaigns
• Emma Boon, Campaign Manager
• Fiona McEvoy, West Midlands Campaign Agent

• Matthew Sinclair Director
• John O'Connell Deputy Research Director.

Notes

Florence heath is married to matthew elliot and her father is linked to a scandal about tpa board member who does not live in britain.