Failed Banks Cash in On Christmas

SO, it comes to the campaign's attention that Lloyds TSB is forking out 35 pounds a head for staff this Christmas for parties!
We think this is an outrage given 5.5bn pounds of cash was pumped into the failing bank recently at the taxpayers' expense.
Shindigs include a booze up at the Preston Marriott Hotel where staff were treated to a five-course Christmad dinner with all the trimmings, booze and party games.
And you think that's bad - what about the RBS splashing out 30k on a Christmas do at Blenheim Palace.
In such times of hardship, and at our expense, this is plain wrong and we take a stand.

Back in Action

After technical issues, the campaign is back up and running. Hope it wasn't missed too much.
As ever, keep emailing us examples of where government can be made better!!

VAT for the Chop?

SO the Sundays are full of speculation that VAT is set to be cut by 2.5% to 15%.
This measure is something the Campaign welcomes and could kick-start the economy to come out of the impending recession by boosting consumer spending.
That said, a VAT cut must happen alongside a raft of other measures to help individuals and small businesses, in particular, through such hard times.
Taxing empty business properties MUST end and the government should at least look at Keynesian-type projects to help curb the rapid rise in unemployment.
Borrowing is going to be a major problem over the next few years but if it has to be done to stop the rot, then we would support it. But only as long as we are not held to ransom.
But what we will not support are high and rapid tax rises "justified" by current conditions. We want to know where our money is being spent and IT MUST be spent wisely and properly.
Cut silly and wasteful spending first before high tax rises.

Strictly Come - Get On With It

THIS campaign is fed up of reading about MPs and senior politicians using parliamentary time and resources to winge about a BBC1 Saturday night entertainment show.
Yes, it's a shame John Sergeant is not On Strictly Come Dancing and you might be upset.
But there is a credit crunch going on at the moment with a major economic downturn needing turning around - Strictly Come Dancing is a distraction and surely there's better things for politicians to winge about.
Stop wasting our tax dollars and do some work!
LET US KNOW IF YOU'VE SPOTTED YOUR LOCAL POLITICIANS SPEAKING OUT ABOUT THIS AND WE WILL NAME AND SHAME HERE.
A couple can be found in the Brighton area. See here: http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/media/2008/11/brighton-argus-dancing-row-gets-political.html

Here is John - the "dancing pig" - in action:

BNP List

THIS campaign does not condone the BNP - quite the opposite, we oppose the racist and fascist views that it often represents.
But we are totally against the witchhunt and leaking of its list of members.
These people are often misguided but they should not be prone to the sort of death threats and attacks that have now happened after pmembers' personal details including names, phone numbers and occupations of members (including children) were published.
Those who leaked this document should be also be named and shamed as the breach probably breaches data protection laws for a start. They should be brought to justice.
Now, it is out in the public, and it is too late.
And the site which features the leak - WikiLeak - has become so overloaded by users trying to download the list it has now gone down!

PFI in Lancashire Hurts, Financially!

TAXPAYERS in Lancashire might not be too pleased to hear that PFI projects in their county is costing BILLIONS of pounds more than what they were first valued at!
A whopping £2.5bn in payments must be found over 25 years for projects originally worth just £424.9m - and that's just county council projects covering a few schools and a waste management project! That does not include NHS and other agency PFI contracts.
And of those billions, £609m must be forked out in interest!
The Campaign for Better Politics thinks this is plain crazy and is yet another example of building public projects by the back door. Enough is enough!
PFI is killing this country and holding us further to ransom in tough economic times. It's time to campaign for it to be scrapped!

A Gallery Nobody Wants Millions Overbudget

TAKE a controversial art gallery and millions of pounds worth of public money and you've got the perfect cocktail for waste!
Yes, and this time it's Colchester Council to burn public money by admitting a further two million pounds is needed to compete the town's Firstsite Newsite Gallery.
The project has a 7.3m shortfall with the taxpayer haing to pay at least 3.75m towards the scheme.
Yet, nobody seems to want the gallery!
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FROM COLCHESTER GAZETTE:
http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/3856238.Colchester____2m_more_to_finish_off_new_art_gallery/