FDA highly commended for Funding the Nation campaign at 2025 TUC Comms Awards

The FDA is delighted to have been highly commended in the Best Campaign Communication category for ‘Funding the Nation‘ at this year’s TUC Comms Awards.

The ARC-led (Association of Revenue and Customs, FDA’s section in HMRC) campaign, which helped convince the government to invest in 5,000 additional HMRC compliance staff, was recognised to have “directly shaped government policy” through “a well-executed media and communications strategy” which was “driven by strong member engagement”.

The campaign was spearheaded by Iain Campbell, an experienced ARC member, with the objective of developing consensus across HMRC’s core stakeholders that the department required long-term, targeted investment to improve service delivery, and ensure the incoming government was committed to this investment. The report’s recommendations were informed by a survey which gathered the views and experiences of FDA members in HMRC.

The report was referenced in Labour’s Plan to Close the Tax Gap ahead of the 2024 General Election, which committed to an additional £855 million investment in HMRC. Investment into more than 5,000 additional HMRC compliance staff and funding to modernise the department’s technology was later confirmed in the Autumn Budget. This generated significant media coverage for the campaign, including from ITV News, the Mirror, the Independent, the Telegraph and the Daily Mail.

Responding to the award, FDA General Secretary Dave Penman said: “It’s not often a campaign ticks all the boxes. Strong evidence base, great member engagement and influencing a new government’s policy. Could not be prouder of the FDA team behind Funding the Nation – our superb reps and talented staff working together to deliver real change.”