Tax

Terminate the town hall Pravdas

26 April 2013 | Kevin Meagher

Eric Pickles is correct – we don’t need council newspapers, with their gushing stories and no attempt to hold local politicians to account. Instead, town halls should support independent media outlets through a scrutiny tax Read more

Tags: | | | | | 1 comment

A new deal for the North

1 March 2013 | Michael Ward

Public services in the north of England are being stretched to breaking point and another round of efficiency savings won’t improve the situation. We need a new approach and a new way of thinking Read more

Tags: | | | | | | Comment

Triple-A trauma

25 February 2013 | Tim Morgan

The UK’s credit downgrading provides an opportunity to re-examine our problems. We cannot raise taxes any more and we’ve already borrowed far too much. The only option is to cut spending further – and we should start with public sector management Read more

Tags: | | | | | | | | | 6 comments

Town hall transformation

29 January 2013 | Graham Allen

Local government has had to dance to Whitehall’s tune for far too long. It’s time for a more mature relationship enforced by a statutory code that protects councils’ rights and provides greater financial autonomy Read more

Tags: | | | | | | | 1 comment

Autumn Statement: Treasury’s 80:20 vision

3 December 2012 | Nick Pearce

If you really want to know what this Wednesday’s Autumn Statement will mean for tax and spend, best to read the small-print in the Treasury ‘scorecard’  Read more

Tags: | | | | | | Comment

Older and wiser?

21 November 2012 | Patrick Nolan

Demographic changes mean that reform of the welfare state is inevitable. Families and individuals have to take more responsibility for themselves, but the government must avoid crude taxation of pensions and other disincentives to save Read more

Tags: | | | | | | Comment

2020 vision for Wales

19 November 2012 | Malcolm Prowle

The Welsh Government will be able to vary income tax rates from the end of the decade if today’s Silk Commission proposals are implemented. But there are risks and hurdles involved, not least winning the public’s support in a referendum Read more

Tags: | | | | | | | Comment

The BBC, Leveson and hidden agendas

13 November 2012 | David Walker

The hysterical media reaction to the BBC debacle is as much to do with resisting the forthcoming Leveson recommendations, as with upholding journalistic integrity or protecting licence-fee payers Read more

Tags: | | | | | | Comment

Third sector: part of the solution

3 November 2012 | Karl Wilding

The voluntary sector is feeling the cold winds of austerity. But it is also discovering some important reserves of strength. Government should take note Read more

Tags: | | | | | | Comment

Public finances: the painful truth

21 August 2012 | Tim Morgan

Today’s public finance figures show that the government is earning less and spending more. Neither the government nor the opposition have a workable plan and no-one is telling the voters the real story Read more

Tags: | | | | | | | 2 comments