I think a bigger issue than the TA in the UK is the presence of stepped climb SIDs at a number of busy airports with equally busy GMC positions. First stop altitudes are frequently bust - and I understand that the charts used often don't help in this respect. The DAP policy - if I have understood it correctly - is to harmonise at a common TA inside CAS of 6000ft - outside CAS it will remain at 3000ft...
I thought the Times article (apart from the headline) was pretty reasonable overall....