BiteBack Publishing

MATTHEW SINCLAIR joined the TaxPayers’ Alliance in May 2007. At the beginning of December 2008 he became Research Director. He has produced studies on the National Health Service, crime, big government projects, the dynamic effects of tax cuts, Gordon Brown’s economic record, hate education in Palestine and environmental policy.

Beyond the Dome provided the most comprehensive account yet produced of the record of over-runs in major government projects. The report Wasting Lives used heavyweight statistical analysis and data processing to provide context for the debate over NHS performance and establish that thousands are dying thanks to high treatable mortality rates relative to other European countries. The Case Against Further Green Taxes, followed on this year by The Burden of Green Taxes, pioneered testing existing green taxes against the scale of the externalities created by climate change – similar estimates have since been produced by other groups including Government departments. The Burden of Green Taxes also included ground breaking estimates showing how green taxes affect people in every local authority in the country. The reports The Cost of Crime in London and The Cost of Crime were the first attempts to form a comprehensive picture of the burden that crime imposes on different local communities. More recently, How cutting corporation tax would boost revenue uses new regression analysis and examples to make the case that the dynamic rewards from cutting corporate tax are now sufficient to increase revenue and Gordon Brown’s Economic Failure provided the most comprehensive case yet that Brown’s record as chancellor was a poor one. Smaller reports have provided insights issues including the effect the Olympics is likely to have on construction inflation and the political effects of cutting Fuel Duty.

Matthew authored the TaxPayers’ Alliance’s Response to the Quality of Life Policy Group which provided the most comprehensive account available of the problems with that report and drew a response from one of the authors on the ConservativeHome website. The report Funding Hate Education was submitted as evidence to the House of Commons International Development Committee. He has also represented the TaxPayers’ Alliance frequently on radio, television - with appearances on the BBC News Channel, Sky News, Bloomberg, the Daily Politics and Newsnight – and in person at a range of events.