a nation of taxpayers

Britain's councils are responsible for everything from social care and bin collections to potholes, planning and council tax. But with local authority debt now at a record high and many town halls warning of a financial crisis, how much power do councillors really have to change things? Podcast host Duncan Barkes is joined by Councillor Elliot Keck, formerly of the TaxPayers' Alliance, and Jonatha...

Podcast host Duncan Barkes is joined by Lance Forman -  businessman and former MEP.  Lance runs the renowned H. Forman & Son salmon smokery in London. He was a MEP for the Brexit Party in 2019. They chat about the challenges facing UK business and whether future PM Andy Burnham recognises the difficulties that UK businesses currently face. Lance and Duncan also discuss Brexit and the current polit...

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 creators capable of reaching people beyond the Westminster b...

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 longer whether Britain's migration system has...

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 be heading towards another IMF bailout? Podcast host Duncan Barkes is jo...

Prevent spends £36 million a year, but the TaxPayers' Alliance's latest research raises serious questions about whether taxpayers can properly see where that money goes. Freedom of information requests that once exposed detailed Prevent spending are now routinely blocked, with councils and the Home Office citing national security and other exemptions even for basic financial breakdowns. Podcast ho...

Labour-backed holiday taxes could leave families paying hundreds of pounds more for a UK break, piling yet another burden onto households already squeezed by the cost of living. And after Rachel Reeves' tax raids on pubs, hotels and hospitality businesses, many are asking: why does Labour seem so determined to hammer Britain's hospitality and tourism industries? Podcast host Duncan Barkes is joine...

What actually causes recessions? Are economic downturns inevitable, or are they the result of political mistakes and bad policy decisions? And when one economy starts to shrink, how quickly can the rest of the world follow? In this episode, podcast host Duncan Barkes is joined by the TaxPayers' Alliance's John O'Connell and former Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers and current E...

With the local election results fully in, podcast host Duncan Barkes sat down with the TPA's William Yarwood and The Critic's Political Editor to ask one question: is the uniparty dead? The trio go through some of the results, what they mean for the political landscape in the coming years and whether there is more than meets the eye when it comes to the decline of the two main political parties.

Are trade unions holding Britain back? Why are taxpayers funding trade union facility time? Should workers in critical public services be allowed to strike? Podcast host Duncan Barkes sat down with policy analyst Shimeon Lee and campaigns director William Yarwood to unpack the growing power of Britain's trade unions, the cost of strikes to taxpayers, and what it all means for public services and t...

Is Britain addicted to borrowing? Why is the national debt continuing to climb despite record tax levels? What can actually be done to solve it? Podcast host Duncan Barkes was joined by trade adviser, economist and media commentator Catherine McBride OBE and research director Darwin Friend to unpack the UK's mounting debt crisis, explore what's driving government borrowing, and discuss what needs...

Is ESG quietly draining your pension and pushing up your bills? In this episode of A Nation of Taxpayers, Duncan Barkes is joined by Jonathan Eida of the TaxPayers' Alliance and James Graham of the Prosperity Institute to expose how Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) rules have shifted finance away from returns and towards political agendas. From weaker investment in Britain's defence and...

Podcast host Duncan Barkes is joined by the TPA's Callum McGoldrick and Shimeon Lee to go through this year's Town Hall Rich List.   This infamous annual piece of research by the TPA reveals how much money council staff receive and the figures are eye-watering with a record 4,733 council bosses receiving more than £100k a year and 320 earning more than the Prime Minister.    Warning: this episode...

Awful April has arrived. As chancellor Rachel Reeves's Autumn Budget measures take effect, the UK faces a wave of tax hikes and ambitious spending commitments that leave many wondering: how am I getting rinsed this time? In this episode, podcast host Duncan Barkes sits down with chief executive John O'Connell and research director Darwin Friend to dissect the fiscal fallout and what these changes...

Podcast host Duncan Barkes is joined by the TPA's Jonathan Eida and Maurice Cousins from Net Zero Watch to talk about energy security, rising fuel prices and how Labour's net zero obsession is leaving the UK highly vulnerable.  

Is Reform returning to its free-market roots? Podcast host Duncan Barkes sits down with the TPA's Elliot Keck and the Deputy Editor of CapX, Joe Dinnage, to debate the shifting tides in Reform, the economic pitfalls of nationalising utilities, and the feasibility of Labour's strategy regarding the conflict in Iran.

What is the new divide in politics? How did it happen? Why are unlikely coalitions being formed? Dr Stephen Davies, Senior Education Fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs, joined podcast host Duncan Barkes and campaigns director Elliot Keck to discuss his new book 'The Great Realignment: Why the New Right Is Here to Stay' and his theory on what the new divide in politics is.

Podcast host Duncan Barkes and the TPA's Will Yarwood chat to Laila Cunningham - Reform UK's London mayoral candidate.  With the London local elections taking place on 7 May and the capital set to elect a new mayor in 2028, they discuss all things London-related including crime, transport and immigration.  Is it too late to save London from the damage inflicted by the policies of Sir Sadiq Khan? T...

Podcast host Duncan Barkes and the TPA's Callum McGoldrick are joined by Conservative MP Esther McVey.  They discuss the disturbing rise in sectarian politics that saw the Green Party achieve victory in the recent Gorton and Denton by-election.  Esther outlines the thinking behind her Ten Minute Rule Bill in Parliament about clear labelling regarding slaughter for Kosher and Halal meat. She also t...

Podcast host Duncan Barkes and the TPA's Anne Strickland are joined by Caroline Elsom who is Head of Government Reform at the Onward think tank.  They discuss the country's ever-increasing welfare bill and highlight the areas of duplication and abuse that are costing taxpayers a fortune.  Anne talks about the escalating asylum seeker social care costs that are hammering the budgets of local counci...

Podcast host Duncan Barkes is joined by Darwin Friend and Elliot Keck from the TPA to discuss the government abandoning its plans to cancel council elections. This follows the TPA campagin called 'No Taxation without Representation' which called on councils cancelling their elections to freeze council tax.  They also chat about the latest youth unemployment figures, the Reform UK announcement of k...

Why do politicians keep passing nanny-state policies? Who benefits from them? And why are anti-freedom lobby groups funded by taxpayers' money? On A Nation of Taxpayers, Duncan Barkes and Benjamin Elks are joined by Christopher Snowdon from the Institute of Economic Affairs to break down why governments expand the nanny state, how public health campaigns turn into lifestyle control and why he's cl...

Podcast host Duncan Barkes and the TPA's Anne Strickland are joined by Catherine McBride OBE - trade adviser, economist and media commentator.   They talk about the missed opportunities of Brexit, the importance of trade, how Labour could boost the economy and who else from the Tories would be a good fit for Reform UK.  Catherine also shares her view on the recently created Prosper UK - headed up...

What does it mean to be right-wing in 2026? Is Reform the best outlet for the right? How did the Conservatives fail on Chagos and lockdown? Andrew Rosindell MP joined Duncan Barkes and William Yarwood on A Nation of Taxpayers to discuss Chagos, what it means to be right-wing, and the failures of the Conservative Party.

Podcast host Duncan Barkes and the TPA's Elliot Keck are joined in the studio by Emma Trimble - writer, broadcaster and fellow at The New Culture Forum .  They discuss the impact that mass immigration has had on Britain's culture, society and institutions.  Along the way, they ponder whether woke is dead or not and wonder if it is too late to get Britain back on track.