The TaxPayers' Alliance

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A closer look at "JRF's cost of living tracker"

Active users of X may have seen a viral clip last week of LBC host Nick Ferrari pushing back on the claim that 7 million households supposedly cannot afford a 50p toothbrush. The figure comes from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s “cost of living tracker” which claims that 7.4

Data Decoded

Data decoded: July

This is the second edition of Data Decoded, the TPA's monthly series tracking key data releases across the public finances and picking out some of the most interesting charts from the previous month. This month's five charts cover the long-term cost of delaying debt reduction, the

Local Government

Birmingham has rewritten its constitution, but taxpayers still do not know who is in charge

By Jess Caine, political commentator At Birmingham City Council’s full meeting on Tuesday, 14th July 2026, councillors adopted a new constitution intended to strengthen how Europe’s largest local authority is governed. Yet the most important contribution of the afternoon was a much simpler question from Reform group leader

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National Debt

Briefing: debt interest over time

Debt interest payments have become one of the largest costs facing taxpayers. In 2025-26, debt interest payments totalled £109.3 billion, accounting for more than 8 per cent of total government spending. Unlike spending on public services, welfare or infrastructure, debt interest payments do not fund current government activity. Instead,

Public Services

NHS Rich List 2026

Over the past 50 years, UK health expenditure has risen more than five-fold in real terms, from around £45 billion in 1974-75 to £242 billion in 2024-25.[1] NHS spending continues to rise, with Department of Health and Social Care expenditure having increased by 5 per cent in 2024-25.[2]

Lower Taxes

Briefing: the growing burden of income tax

Prior to his appointment as prime minister in July 2026, Andy Burnham said that the freezing of the personal allowance over the past five years was the thing he heard most about on the doorstep during the Makerfield by-election campaign.[1] Originally set to last until 2025-26, the policy has

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Wasteful Spending

Stop the Chagos deal

At a time when defence, local services and household budgets are under huge pressure, Andy Burnham wants to press ahead with the Chagos surrender deal. That means handing over British territory, then leasing back a vital military base at a cost of up to £47bn, which the Mauritian government will

Wasteful Spending

Stop the foreign aid hike

At a time when defence, local services and household budgets are under huge pressure, Andy Burnham wants to hike foreign aid back to 0.7% of national income. Write to your MP by using our tool below and tell them that taxpayers’ money should fund British priorities first. By using

Campaigns

Cost of domestic tourism loss in England

The Overnight Visitors Levy (OVL) risks taking a significant sum out of the UK economy. Ministers should be backing measures that support growth, not policies that deter it. Taxes act as a disincentive, and a visitor levy is no exception. This note examines the potential economic damage from introducing an

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Podcasts

Building the Next Generation of Young Free Market Creators

For decades, the free-market movement relied on newspapers, think tanks and political institutions to make the case for lower taxes, limited government and individual liberty. But as younger audiences increasingly turn to podcasts, YouTube and social media for news and political commentary, those ideas need a new generation of persuasive

Central Government

Katie Lam: The Case for Mass Migration Has Collapsed

For years, politicians and so-called experts insisted that mass migration was an economic necessity, dismissing concerns about pressure on public services, housing, wages and social cohesion. Now, with migration at historic levels and the consequences becoming increasingly difficult to ignore, that consensus is beginning to collapse. The question is no

Podcasts

Is Britain Heading for an IMF Bailout?

Britain’s borrowing is spiralling, debt interest costs remain painfully high, and warnings about the state of the public finances are growing louder. With the government struggling to balance the books and taxpayers facing the prospect of higher taxes and more borrowing, some are asking an uncomfortable question: could Britain

Latest

Hidden liabilities take real national debt to £11.7 trillion

Blog View More →

A closer look at "JRF's cost of living tracker"

Data decoded: July

Birmingham has rewritten its constitution, but taxpayers still do not know who is in charge

Research View More →

Briefing: debt interest over time

NHS Rich List 2026

Briefing: the growing burden of income tax

Campaigns View More →

Stop the Chagos deal

Stop the foreign aid hike

Cost of domestic tourism loss in England

Podcasts View More →

Building the Next Generation of Young Free Market Creators

Katie Lam: The Case for Mass Migration Has Collapsed

Is Britain Heading for an IMF Bailout?