The UK's TaxPayers' [sic] Alliance (TPA) will today play host to its American counterpart, the Tea Party movement. Both groups are undisguisedly rightwing campaigners for lower taxes – but their methods are somewhat different.

The TPA, as we are all well aware, is a genteel organisation of altruists with a carefully targeted and articulate media strategy. Those Tea Party sorts, however, prefer to adopt a more dynamic – one might even say physical – approach to promoting their cause.

Such energy has led to allegations against protestors of racism, homophobia, anti-semitism and other abusive behaviour, including the verbal and physical assault of a sufferer of Parkinson’s disease.

Yet, one wonders how any of the accusations could possibly be true. After all, would someone as respectable as former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin take an active role among individuals who had really chanted the N-word at a rally and spat at a black congressman?

Mrs Palin, it should be noted, is a woman of thoughtful intellect – especially when it comes to fiscal matters.

For instance, when interviewed in 2008 about the Bush government’s emergency economic bailout, she told TV journalist Katie Couric: ‘I, like every American I'm speaking with, we're ill about this position that we have been put in where it is the taxpayers looking to bail out but, ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the healthcare reform that is needed to help shore up our economy…’

And who could argue with that?

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