Difference between revisions of "Globalisation:Taxpayers' Alliance"

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==Funding==
 
==Funding==
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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. <ref>Robert Booth,”[http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/oct/09/taxpayers-alliance-conservative-pressure-group]” Guardian, Accessed 22 October 2010</ref>
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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. <ref>Robert Booth”[http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/oct/09/taxpayers-alliance-conservative-pressure-group]” Guardian, Accessed 22 October 2010</ref>
  
 
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. Gallagher Developments owns land with planning consent for six million square feet of commercial development, and an investment portfolio of around 2.7 million square feet of retail parks throughout the country. Gallagher UK therefore continues to be one of the most successful privately-owned commercial and residential property development and investment companies in the UK, with net assets valued at around £450 million. <ref>”[http://www.birminghampost.net/birminghambusiness/richlist/richlist2010/2010/02/03/8-14-tony-gallagher-500m-500m-65233-25797657/#ixzz13O5rC3WR]” Birmingham Post, Accessed 22 October 2010</ref>
 
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. Gallagher Developments owns land with planning consent for six million square feet of commercial development, and an investment portfolio of around 2.7 million square feet of retail parks throughout the country. Gallagher UK therefore continues to be one of the most successful privately-owned commercial and residential property development and investment companies in the UK, with net assets valued at around £450 million. <ref>”[http://www.birminghampost.net/birminghambusiness/richlist/richlist2010/2010/02/03/8-14-tony-gallagher-500m-500m-65233-25797657/#ixzz13O5rC3WR]” Birmingham Post, Accessed 22 October 2010</ref>
  
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Another benefactor is Christopher Kelly who owns the international haulage firm Keltruck. <ref>”Robert Booth[http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/oct/09/taxpayers-alliance-conservative-pressure-group]” Guardian, Accessed 22 October 2010</ref> He was a member of the Conservative Party's Midlands Regional Finance Board, the West Midlands Council of Business for Sterling (part of the no campaign against the euro) and the Business Council of Vote No (part of the no campaign against the European Constitution). Kelly is also a past member of the Institute of Directors (IoD) and has represented Keltruck within the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). <ref>”[http://www.keltruck.com/about-keltruck/biographies/chris-kelly.aspx]” Keltruck Limited, Accessed 22 October 2010</ref>
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Another benefactor is Christopher Kelly who owns the international haulage firm Keltruck. <ref>Robert Booth”[http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/oct/09/taxpayers-alliance-conservative-pressure-group]” Guardian, Accessed 22 October 2010</ref> He was a member of the Conservative Party's Midlands Regional Finance Board, the West Midlands Council of Business for Sterling (part of the no campaign against the euro) and the Business Council of Vote No (part of the no campaign against the European Constitution). Kelly is also a past member of the Institute of Directors (IoD) and has represented Keltruck within the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). <ref>”[http://www.keltruck.com/about-keltruck/biographies/chris-kelly.aspx]” Keltruck Limited, Accessed 22 October 2010</ref>
  
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Sir Anthony Bamford, the JCB tycoon, whose family and company have donated more than £1m to the Conservatives, has, according to a spokesman, also helped fund the Taxpayers Alliance.  <ref>Robert Booth”[http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/oct/09/taxpayers-alliance-conservative-pressure-group]” Guardian, Accessed 22 October 2010</ref> Bamford has also made smaller gifts of more than £80,000 in his own name to the Conservative Party and donations by JCB Research filed with the Electoral Commission include £175,000 towards the cost of private flights for members of the Shadow Cabinet.
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<ref>Tom Baldwin”[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7102318.ece]” The Times, Accessed 22 October 2010</ref>
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In 2004 he stepped down as managing director and handed over daily operations to his chief executive, John Patterson, however he still remains as chairman and the business is valued at about £1.8 billion. Sales at the Staffordshire firm rose 28% to £2.25 billion in 2007 and in  2008 JCB was ranked 34 in the Times Rich List and was worth £1,950 million
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<ref>”[http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/specials/rich_list/article3796165.ece]” Sunday Times, TLS, Accessed 22 October 2010</ref>
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Malcolm McAlpine, a director of Sir Robert McAlpine, the construction firm building London's Olympic stadium, has also given an undisclosed amount to the Taxpayers Alliance. <ref>Robert Booth “[http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/oct/09/taxpayers-alliance-conservative-pressure-group]” Guardian, Accessed 22 October 2010</ref> Sir Robert McAlpine construction firm also delivers a wide variety of projects through the Government’s PFI, PPP and BSF programmes across the health, education, transport and defence sectors. <ref> “[http://www.sir-robert-mcalpine.com/services/?serviceId=1715]” Sir Robert McAlpine, Accessed 22 October 2010</ref> According to Compass the Government's has wasted spending through its infatuation with the private sector. Recipients of this spending include Taxpayers Alliance supporters such as Malcolm McAlpine, who is Director of private finance initiative provider Sir Robert McAlpine. <ref>Clifford Singer “[http://www.compassonline.org.uk/news/item.asp?n=3470]”Compass, Accessed 22 October 2010</ref>
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David Alberto, co-owner of serviced office company Avanta, is also a supporter of the Taxpayers Alliance and donated a suite in Westminster worth £100,000 a year to Matthew Elliott Chief Executive of the Taxpayers Alliance and his 14 staff explaining that this was due to his opposition against the level of tax on businesses. <ref> Robert Booth”[http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/oct/09/taxpayers-alliance-conservative-pressure-group]” Guardian, Accessed 22 October 2010</ref> In the UK it currently manages more than 630,000 sq ft of office space in prime locations in London, the Thames Valley, Manchester and Edinburgh. It also has business centres in New Delhi, and a further two centres in Mumbai. Avanta also has connections with Think London, which is a private-public partnership dealing with foreign direct investment agency for London. Think London’s experts work with government and the business community to help companies access the best people, places and opportunities in the city. Their principal funding partners are the London Development Agency (LDA). <ref> “[http://www.thinklondon.com/media_centre/content/April_June_2009/Mayor_and_Think_London_increase_free_office_space_for_overseas_investors_by_350_per_cent.html]” Think London, Accessed 22 October 2010</ref>  Alberto also has an offshore family trust but has said that 90% of his wealth is in the UK, where he pays tax. <ref>Robert Booth”[http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/oct/09/taxpayers-alliance-conservative-pressure-group]” Guardian, Accessed 22 October 2010</ref>
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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. <ref>Robert Booth”[http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/oct/09/taxpayers-alliance-conservative-pressure-group]” Guardian, Accessed 22 October 2010</ref> Wheeler, Forte and Craven, as well as Chris Kelly and Malcolm McAlpine, are also associated with Global Vision <ref> “[http://www.global-vision.net/supportbusiness.asp]” Global Vision, Accessed 22 October 2010</ref>  which was launched in March 2007 by Lord Blackwell and Ruth Lea who set out to create a campaign which would offer an alternative to the existing polarised choices of the full European project or pulling out and breaking all ties with Europe altogether.<ref> “[http://www.global-vision.net/vision.asp]” Global Vision, Accessed 22 October 2010</ref>
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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.
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<ref>Robert Booth”[http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/oct/09/taxpayers-alliance-conservative-pressure-group]” Guardian, Accessed 22 October 2010</ref>
  
 
Investigations by The Charity Commission have suggested that the Tax Payers Aliance (TPA) have gained funding from 'The Politics and Economics Trust,' a charity it runs seperately from the TPA. [http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/news/Article/974863/taxpayers-alliance-denies-political-research-claims/ Tax Payers Alliance Denies 'political research claims'] The Guardian have claimed that the TPA may have used the charity they are linked with to gain tax relief and Gift Aid usually used for good causes, for political research. The alliance is able, through the charity it set up, to gain subsidies of up to 40% of the donation of an individual. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/dec/20/taxpayers-alliance-tories-charitable-donations Tory tax allies 'subsidised' by the taxpayer] In order to do this, it is claimed that the TPA asked buisness men to fund the alliance through the trust. Under guidelines of the Charity Commission organisations cannot be both charitable and politically motivated.  
 
Investigations by The Charity Commission have suggested that the Tax Payers Aliance (TPA) have gained funding from 'The Politics and Economics Trust,' a charity it runs seperately from the TPA. [http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/news/Article/974863/taxpayers-alliance-denies-political-research-claims/ Tax Payers Alliance Denies 'political research claims'] The Guardian have claimed that the TPA may have used the charity they are linked with to gain tax relief and Gift Aid usually used for good causes, for political research. The alliance is able, through the charity it set up, to gain subsidies of up to 40% of the donation of an individual. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/dec/20/taxpayers-alliance-tories-charitable-donations Tory tax allies 'subsidised' by the taxpayer] In order to do this, it is claimed that the TPA asked buisness men to fund the alliance through the trust. Under guidelines of the Charity Commission organisations cannot be both charitable and politically motivated.  

Revision as of 18:53, 26 October 2010

Ross McLauchlan Catherine MacDonald Angela Devine Katie Blair

History and Ideology

The TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) is a British pressure group formed to tackle the lack of an adequate taxpayers’ organisation in the UK. Founded in 2004 by Andrew Allum, Matthew Elliott and Florence Heath, the Taypayers’ Alliance is Britain's independent, non-partisan campaign for low a tax society and better services (http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/home/history.html).

Starting out as a volunteer operation, the TPA first came to the attention of the national media with the publication of the first “Bumper Book of Government Waste”. The reception of this research, alongside the strong support led to a rapid and sustained expansion (http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/home/history.html).

With a full-time team of staff working out of its office in the heart of Westminster, the TPA has firmly established itself as the country's leading voice on transparency and accountability in government; with registered supporters increasing from 5,000 in its first year to a current figure of almost 60,000 supporters. The TPA has also been at the forefront of campaigns against MPs' expenses abuses, the need for public spending transparency, the growth of the quango state, the costs and wastefulness of the EU, and excessive executive public sector pay, among others (http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/home/history.html).

Despite the alleged non-partisan nature of the TPA, it has been accused of being a Conservative Party "front”, with all three founders, and a number of TPA staff members being affiliated with the Conservative Party and have strong links with the Freedom Association. Alliance backers, such as Anthony Bamford, a director of Staffordshire-based JC Bamford, have also donated large sums of money to the Conservative Party (http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/oct/09/taxpayers-alliance-conservative-pressure-group). However, the group's leadership has denied such an affiliation with the Conservative party.

The TPA has also recently come under scrutiny from the Charity Commission following claims that the TPA was using a charitable branch of its organisation, the Politics and Economics Research trust, to fund politically motivated research (http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/news/archive/975375/Charity-Commission-opens-investigation-Taxpayers-Alliance/?DCMP=ILC-SEARCH).

The TaxPayers' Alliance is Britain's independent grassroots campaign for lower taxes. After years of being ignored by politicians of all parties, the TPA is committed to forcing politicians to listen to ordinary taxpayers. The mission of the TPA is "to reverse the perception that big government is necessary and irreversible; to explain the benefits of a low tax economy; to give taxpayers a voice in the corridors of power; to oppose EU tax harmonisation.” (http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/home/mission.html).

To this end, the TaxPayers' Alliance intends to: oppose all tax rises; oppose EU tax harmonisation; criticise all examples of wasteful and unnecessary spending; and champion opportunities for votes on tax and spending (http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/home/mission.html).

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. [1]

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. Gallagher Developments owns land with planning consent for six million square feet of commercial development, and an investment portfolio of around 2.7 million square feet of retail parks throughout the country. Gallagher UK therefore continues to be one of the most successful privately-owned commercial and residential property development and investment companies in the UK, with net assets valued at around £450 million. [2]

Another benefactor is Christopher Kelly who owns the international haulage firm Keltruck. [3] He was a member of the Conservative Party's Midlands Regional Finance Board, the West Midlands Council of Business for Sterling (part of the no campaign against the euro) and the Business Council of Vote No (part of the no campaign against the European Constitution). Kelly is also a past member of the Institute of Directors (IoD) and has represented Keltruck within the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). [4]

Sir Anthony Bamford, the JCB tycoon, whose family and company have donated more than £1m to the Conservatives, has, according to a spokesman, also helped fund the Taxpayers Alliance. [5] Bamford has also made smaller gifts of more than £80,000 in his own name to the Conservative Party and donations by JCB Research filed with the Electoral Commission include £175,000 towards the cost of private flights for members of the Shadow Cabinet. [6] In 2004 he stepped down as managing director and handed over daily operations to his chief executive, John Patterson, however he still remains as chairman and the business is valued at about £1.8 billion. Sales at the Staffordshire firm rose 28% to £2.25 billion in 2007 and in 2008 JCB was ranked 34 in the Times Rich List and was worth £1,950 million [7]

Malcolm McAlpine, a director of Sir Robert McAlpine, the construction firm building London's Olympic stadium, has also given an undisclosed amount to the Taxpayers Alliance. [8] Sir Robert McAlpine construction firm also delivers a wide variety of projects through the Government’s PFI, PPP and BSF programmes across the health, education, transport and defence sectors. [9] According to Compass the Government's has wasted spending through its infatuation with the private sector. Recipients of this spending include Taxpayers Alliance supporters such as Malcolm McAlpine, who is Director of private finance initiative provider Sir Robert McAlpine. [10]

David Alberto, co-owner of serviced office company Avanta, is also a supporter of the Taxpayers Alliance and donated a suite in Westminster worth £100,000 a year to Matthew Elliott Chief Executive of the Taxpayers Alliance and his 14 staff explaining that this was due to his opposition against the level of tax on businesses. [11] In the UK it currently manages more than 630,000 sq ft of office space in prime locations in London, the Thames Valley, Manchester and Edinburgh. It also has business centres in New Delhi, and a further two centres in Mumbai. Avanta also has connections with Think London, which is a private-public partnership dealing with foreign direct investment agency for London. Think London’s experts work with government and the business community to help companies access the best people, places and opportunities in the city. Their principal funding partners are the London Development Agency (LDA). [12] Alberto also has an offshore family trust but has said that 90% of his wealth is in the UK, where he pays tax. [13]

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. [14] Wheeler, Forte and Craven, as well as Chris Kelly and Malcolm McAlpine, are also associated with Global Vision [15] which was launched in March 2007 by Lord Blackwell and Ruth Lea who set out to create a campaign which would offer an alternative to the existing polarised choices of the full European project or pulling out and breaking all ties with Europe altogether.[16]

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. [17]

Investigations by The Charity Commission have suggested that the Tax Payers Aliance (TPA) have gained funding from 'The Politics and Economics Trust,' a charity it runs seperately from the TPA. Tax Payers Alliance Denies 'political research claims' The Guardian have claimed that the TPA may have used the charity they are linked with to gain tax relief and Gift Aid usually used for good causes, for political research. The alliance is able, through the charity it set up, to gain subsidies of up to 40% of the donation of an individual. Tory tax allies 'subsidised' by the taxpayer In order to do this, it is claimed that the TPA asked buisness men to fund the alliance through the trust. Under guidelines of the Charity Commission organisations cannot be both charitable and politically motivated.

Cheif Executive of the TPA, Michael Elliot, states that the grants obtained through the Politics and Economics Research Trust have funded research which has been looked at with an open mind. He states that none of the grants have gone to any political activity. However, John Prescott, former deputy PM, claims that the TPA are exploitive rather than representative and he has written to the Charity Commission to demand that they suspend the TPA's status as a charity. Taxpayers' Alliance charitable arm under tax investigation

People

Andrew Allum Chairman Matthew Elliot Chief Executive.Elliot is also the cheif excecutive of Big Brother Watch,a campaign"Fighting intrusions on privacy and protecting civil liberties"supported by the TPA.[18] Florance Heath Co-Founder Sara Rainwater Operations Director Emma Bennett Executive Assistant Matthew Sinclair Director John O'Connell Deputy Research Director.

Campaign and Issues

Research

The TPA carries out research into public spending, taxation and broader economic policy. The alliance claims to be a primary source which is used by ordinary people as well as media workers and academics. Research Archive For example, the TPA may research issues such as MP's Expenses abuses and the cost of wastefullness of the E.U. It claims to be an non-partisan in it's campaigns and research. History

However, it has been claimed that the BBC's Helen Boaden has stated that she does not think the TPA are non-partisan. Furthermore she said she would discuss ways in which to avoid reporting the alliance as a non-partisan organisation in the future. This was in reply to a letter written by John Prescott who complained that the BBC had been reporting the TPA as impartial. It is suggested by many that the TPA are a Conservative front and therefore a change in the way they are reported by the BBC could be seen as necesary. BBC Agrees TPA not an Impartial Body

Notes

  1. ↑ Robert Booth”[1]” Guardian, Accessed 22 October 2010
  2. ↑ ”[2]” Birmingham Post, Accessed 22 October 2010
  3. ↑ Robert Booth”[3]” Guardian, Accessed 22 October 2010
  4. ↑ ”[4]” Keltruck Limited, Accessed 22 October 2010
  5. ↑ Robert Booth”[5]” Guardian, Accessed 22 October 2010
  6. ↑ Tom Baldwin”[6]” The Times, Accessed 22 October 2010
  7. ↑ ”[7]” Sunday Times, TLS, Accessed 22 October 2010
  8. ↑ Robert Booth “[8]” Guardian, Accessed 22 October 2010
  9. ↑ “[9]” Sir Robert McAlpine, Accessed 22 October 2010
  10. ↑ Clifford Singer “[10]”Compass, Accessed 22 October 2010
  11. ↑ Robert Booth”[11]” Guardian, Accessed 22 October 2010
  12. ↑ “[12]” Think London, Accessed 22 October 2010
  13. ↑ Robert Booth”[13]” Guardian, Accessed 22 October 2010
  14. ↑ Robert Booth”[14]” Guardian, Accessed 22 October 2010
  15. ↑ “[15]” Global Vision, Accessed 22 October 2010
  16. ↑ “[16]” Global Vision, Accessed 22 October 2010
  17. ↑ Robert Booth”[17]” Guardian, Accessed 22 October 2010
  18. ↑ [18]Accessed25thOctober2010
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