Delivering a first class infrastructure for the UK

"Road to Recovery"(PDF)

Authors: Professor Nick Bosanquet, Thomas Cawston, Andrew Haldenby, Patrick Nolan, Lucy Parsons and Elizabeth Truss

Publication date: October 2009

This report details the damning state of Britain's current infrastructure which is ranked 34th in the World (behind Namibia and Spain) and which receives less spending than any other OECD country. While the report's authors admit public finances are tight they argue that infrastructure spending represents good value for the taxpayer due to the consequent economic growth. The report encourages more use of the private sector in infrastructure projects and calls for the total withdrawal of the public sector from infrastructure projects in road, rail and renewable energy by citing successful projects such as the M6 Toll Road which have been financed through the private sector.

Cutting back on quangos

"ACA to YJB - A Guide to the UK's Semi-Autonomous Public Bodies"(PDF)

Authors: Ben Farrugia and John O'Connell

Publication date: October 2009

The report addresses the UK's 1,148 Semi-Autonomous Public Bodies (SAPBs) which are more commonly known as quangos. The Government spent an estimated £90billion on or through these organisations in 2007-2008 which was an increase in £13billion from the previous year. This amount represents around £3,640 for every household in Britain. The report acknowledges how hard it is to abolish SAPBs however it urges politicians to dramatically cut spending on them. The report is critical of SAPBs for their unaccountability, their duplication of function and the crony-ism which is rife in them.

Radical thinking on women's role in and out of the workplace

"What women want...and how they can get it" (PDF)

Author: Cristina Odone

Publication date: 9 October 2009

The author argues that while the UK has more women working than any other EU member state many of these women do not wish to work full-time and would prefer an alternative. The report is critical of Labour's gender quotas and single-earner couples being penalised in the taxation system. The paper calls for a more family-centred social policy from central government.

Ten key economic policies for the next government

"Ten Economic Priorities - An agenda for an incoming government" (PDF)

Author: Nigel Hawkins

Publication date: September 2009

This report details ten key economic policies which, in the view of the author, the next government should adopt in order to address the dire state of the UK's public finances. These policies include cutting taxes, implementing cuts in public expenditure and pursuing privatisation opportunities.

Re-working the welfare system

"Dynamic Benefits: Towards Welfare That Works, Part I" (PDF)

"Dynamic Benefits: Towards Welfare That Works, Parts II and III"(PDF)

"Dynamic Benefits: Towards Welfare That Works, Appendices"(PDF)

"Dynamic Benefits: Towards Welfare That Works, Executive Summary" (PDF)

"Dynamic Benefits: Towards Welfare That Works, Preface by the Rt. Hon. Iain Duncan Smith MP"(PDF)

Authors: Centre for Social Justice Economic Dependency Working Group, chaired by Dr Stephen Brien

Publication date: September 2009

This report acknowledges that the benefits system is broken and has perpetuated poverty and worklessness. There are 5.9 million people of working age not working and receiving state benefits along with nearly one million young people not in education, employment or training. This reports suggests a comprehensive reform of the benefits and taxation systems in order to ensure more people are incentivised to return to work and in order to address poverty among the most vulnerable in society.

How to save £50billion

"How to save £50billion - Reducing spending for sustainable public finance"(PDF)

Authors: Corin Taylor, Ben Farugia, John O'Connell, Mike Denham and Matthew Sinclair

Publication date: September 2009

This report contains a list of 32 specific suggestions for saving £50billion - £42.5billion of annual savings from 2010-2011 onwards and a further £7.5billion of annual savings which are to be considered in an emergency. The rationale and costing of each saving is listed in the report which has been compiled jointly between The Taxpayers' Alliance and The Institute of Directors.

How to make manufacturing thrive again in Britain

"Innovation and Industry - The Role of Government" (PDF)

Authors: John Willman, Martin Smith and Natalie Evans (Editor)

Publication date: 21 September 2009

The report works from the presumption that as the growth of the financial services sector of the UK economy has stalled, for the UK to recover it is necessary for there to be a revival of the country's manufacturing base. The report contains a list of recommendations to make Britain the right environment for manufacturing to flourish including changes to taxation rules on capital expenditure, strengthening Enterprise Capital Funds and the Small Business Research Initiative, and cutting back on unnecessary Government regulation.

How to simplify the benefits system

"Benefit simplification - how and why it must be done" (PDF)

Author: David Martin

Publication date: 3 August 2009

The report calls for an integrated system of administering benefits to remove complexity and inefficiency in the benefits system. The author argues that creating a single agency to administer benefits will assist those who are genuinely entitled to receive benefits by increasing transparency and reduce the scope for benefit fraud.

Reforming family law and promoting marriage

"Every Family Matters - an in-depth review of family law in Britain"(PDF)

Authors: The Centre for Social Justice Family Law Review chaired by David Hodson

Publication date: July 2009

This report seeks to address issues surrounding family break-up and the consequential damage to society. It calls for a reform of family law to encourage the institution of marriage and fairer access to children in the event of divorce. The report calls for Government to recognise marriage in the taxation system and stresses that two parent families represent the best environment for children to be brought up.

Higher taxes not the solution to UK's public finance crisis

"Can tax increases solve the United Kingdom's public finance crisis?"(PDF)

Authors: The Taxpayers' Alliance and Centre for Economics and Business Research

Publication date: July 2009

This report belies the popular belief that only tax increases will solve the UK's public finance crisis. The authors use three different models - an optimistic model (using the Treasury's figures), a central model (using the CEBR's predictions) and a pessimistic model (assuming there will be little economic recovery over the next five years) to calibrate the likely budget deficit for 2017-18. According to the optimistic model this is likely to be £30billion, the central model suggests it will be £140billion and the pessimistic model predicts £180billion. Under both the central and pessimistic model unemployment is expected to rise above 3million by 2011. The report predicts that public sector spending will need to be cut by £123billion by 2017-18. However the report argues that the 50% top rate of income tax will result in reducing economic growth by 0.4% and raising income and corporation tax across the board will result in a short term boost but will be revenue negative after seven years. The report concludes that higher taxes are not the solution for solving Britain's public finance crisis.