Globalisation:Taxpayers' Alliance: Funding

Since the Taxpayers Alliance was launched six years ago, it has become the most influential pressure groups in the country and yet it refuses to publish details of its benefactors, and how it manages to pay for its £1 million a year operation. An investigation by the Guardian has determined that it is funded largely from wealthy donors, many of whom are prominent supporters of the Conservative party. The Midlands Industrial Council for example, which has donated £1.5m to the Conservatives since 2003, said it has given the Taxpayers Alliance around £80,000 on behalf of 32 owners of private companies. Tony Gallagher, owner of Gallagher UK, a property company that gave the Conservatives £250,000 in 2007, is also a member of the Midlands Industrial Council, as is Christopher Kelly who owns the international haulage firm Keltruck, and Robert Edmiston who owns IM Group, an international vehicle importer.

Also, a spokesman for Sir Anthony Bamford, the JCB tycoon, whose family and company have donated more than £1m to the Conservatives, said he has helped fund the Taxpayers Alliance, as has the construction magnate Malcolm McAlpine, a director of Sir Robert McAlpine, the construction firm building London's Olympic stadium, has given an undisclosed amount to the Taxpayers Alliance. David Alberto, co-owner of serviced office company Avanta, has also donated Elliott and his 14 staff a suite in Westminster worth £100,000 a year because he opposes the level of tax on businesses. Alberto has an offshore family trust but said 90% of his wealth is in the UK, where he pays tax. Other businessmen named by the Taxpayers Alliance as supporters, include spread betting tycoon Stuart Wheeler who gave £5m to the Conservatives before he endorsed the UK Independence party; Sir Rocco Forte, the hotelier; and Sir John Craven, chairman of mining group Lonmin.

Funding has soared then from £67,457 in 2005 to more than £1m and the number of supporters has increased 60% this year as a result of the combined effect of the recession and the MPs' expenses scandal. The questions its critics ask therefore is whether it really is an alliance of ordinary taxpayers, and how close it is to the Tory party hierarchy? According to some Labour figures such as MP Jon Cruddas, the Taxpayers Alliance is a Tory front operation run by big powerful business interests who want to resist from paying tax by poisoning the well of public debate around the issue. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/oct/09/taxpayers-alliance-conservative-pressure-group