The accountability record
The Agenda
Who governed Britain, and who held the money, since 2000. This is the spine of the accountability record. Onto it we are adding, layer by layer, what each government promised, what it decided at each Budget, and what actually happened, every figure matched to the official record. Where the record is still being gathered, we say so plainly rather than fill the gap.
Who governed
Prime Ministers since 2000, most recent first.
Keir Starmer
Jul 2024 to nowIn office now
Labourmajorityabout 2 yearsWon a majority at the July 2024 general election.
Source: official record.
On their watch, from the ONS record
Unemployment
4.3% in 2024 to 4.8% in 2025
Economy, real terms
grew 1% from 2024 to 2025
Inflation (CPIH)
3.3% in 2024 to 3.9% in 2025
Source: Office for National Statistics. See the full record.
Key fiscal decisions
Autumn Budget 2024
30 October 2024Budget · Rachel Reeves
The first Budget of the new Labour government and the first delivered by a female Chancellor. Set out about £40 billion of tax rises, chiefly an increase in employer National Insurance contributions.
One of the largest tax-raising Budgets in decades.
Source: HM Treasury.
Rishi Sunak
Oct 2022 to Jul 2024
Conservativemajorityabout 2 yearsTook office mid-Parliament; lost the 2024 general election.
Source: official record.
On their watch, from the ONS record
Unemployment
3.8% in 2022 to 4.3% in 2024
Economy, real terms
grew 1% from 2022 to 2024
Inflation (CPIH)
7.9% in 2022 to 3.3% in 2024
Source: Office for National Statistics. See the full record.
Key fiscal decisions
Autumn Statement 2022
17 November 2022Autumn Statement · Jeremy Hunt
Reversed most of the mini-budget and set out about £55 billion of consolidation through tax rises and spending restraint, including frozen tax thresholds.
Freezing thresholds pulls more people into higher tax over time, an effect known as fiscal drag.
Source: HM Treasury.
Liz Truss
Sept 2022 to Oct 2022
Conservativemajorityunder a yearShortest tenure of any UK Prime Minister.
Source: official record.
Key fiscal decisions
The Growth Plan (mini-budget)
23 September 2022Fiscal event · Kwasi Kwarteng
Announced about £45 billion of largely unfunded tax cuts, including abolishing the 45p additional rate.
Sterling fell to a record low against the US dollar and government borrowing costs spiked, forcing an emergency Bank of England intervention in the gilt market. The 45p measure was reversed within ten days, the Chancellor was removed on 14 October and the Prime Minister resigned on 20 October.
Source: HM Treasury.
Boris Johnson
Jul 2019 to Sept 2022
Conservativemajorityabout 3 yearsBegan as a minority; won a majority at the December 2019 election.
Source: official record.
On their watch, from the ONS record
Unemployment
3.8% in 2019 to 3.8% in 2022
Economy, real terms
grew 3% from 2019 to 2022
Inflation (CPIH)
1.7% in 2019 to 7.9% in 2022
Source: Office for National Statistics. See the full record.
Key fiscal decisions
Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021
27 October 2021Spending Review · Rishi Sunak
Set multi-year departmental budgets as the economy reopened after the pandemic.
Source: HM Treasury.
Plan for Jobs (Summer Economic Update)
8 July 2020Fiscal event · Rishi Sunak
Introduced Eat Out to Help Out and a temporary stamp duty holiday to support jobs during the pandemic.
Part of an unprecedented peacetime rise in borrowing to fund the pandemic response.
Source: HM Treasury.
Budget 2020
11 March 2020Budget · Rishi Sunak
Delivered days before the first COVID-19 lockdown, opening emergency support for the pandemic.
Followed within weeks by furlough and other emergency measures as the economy shut down.
Source: HM Treasury.
Theresa May
Jul 2016 to Jul 2019
Conservativeminorityabout 3 yearsInherited a Commons majority; lost it at the June 2017 election and governed as a minority with DUP confidence and supply.
Source: official record.
On their watch, from the ONS record
Unemployment
4.9% in 2016 to 3.8% in 2019
Economy, real terms
grew 6% from 2016 to 2019
Inflation (CPIH)
1% in 2016 to 1.7% in 2019
Source: Office for National Statistics. See the full record.
David Cameron
May 2015 to Jul 2016
Conservativemajorityabout 1 yearConservative majority; resigned after the EU referendum.
Source: official record.
On their watch, from the ONS record
Unemployment
5.4% in 2015 to 4.9% in 2016
Economy, real terms
grew 2% from 2015 to 2016
Inflation (CPIH)
0.4% in 2015 to 1% in 2016
Source: Office for National Statistics. See the full record.
Key fiscal decisions
Summer Budget 2015
8 July 2015Budget · George Osborne
Announced the National Living Wage, to begin in April 2016, alongside cuts to working tax credits.
The tax credit cuts were later reversed after opposition in the House of Lords.
Source: HM Treasury.
David Cameron
May 2010 to May 2015
Conservativecoalitionabout 5 yearsConservative and Liberal Democrat coalition.
Source: official record.
On their watch, from the ONS record
Unemployment
7.9% in 2010 to 5.4% in 2015
Economy, real terms
grew 10% from 2010 to 2015
Inflation (CPIH)
2.5% in 2010 to 0.4% in 2015
Source: Office for National Statistics. See the full record.
Key fiscal decisions
Budget 2012
21 March 2012Budget · George Osborne
Cut the 50p additional rate of income tax to 45p from April 2013.
Several measures (the so-called pasty tax, caravan tax and granny tax) were reversed after public opposition, and the Budget became known as the omnishambles Budget.
Source: HM Treasury.
June 2010 emergency Budget
22 June 2010Budget · George Osborne
Began the austerity programme. Raised VAT from 17.5% to 20% from January 2011 and set out deep departmental spending cuts.
Marked the start of a decade of spending restraint aimed at reducing the deficit after the financial crisis.
Source: HM Treasury.
Gordon Brown
Jun 2007 to May 2010
Labourmajorityabout 3 yearsTook office mid-Parliament on Blair's resignation.
Source: official record.
On their watch, from the ONS record
Unemployment
5.3% in 2007 to 7.9% in 2010
Economy, real terms
shrank 2% from 2007 to 2010
Inflation (CPIH)
2.4% in 2007 to 2.5% in 2010
Source: Office for National Statistics. See the full record.
Tony Blair
May 1997 to Jun 2007
Labourmajorityabout 10 yearsWon majorities in 1997, 2001 and 2005.
Source: official record.
On their watch, from the ONS record
Unemployment
6.9% in 1997 to 5.3% in 2007
Economy, real terms
grew 32% from 1997 to 2007
Inflation (CPIH)
2.2% in 1997 to 2.4% in 2007
Source: Office for National Statistics. See the full record.
Who held the money
Chancellors of the Exchequer since 2000. Note how often the office changed hands.
- Rachel ReevesLabourJul 2024 to nowsource
- Jeremy HuntConservativeOct 2022 to Jul 2024source
- Kwasi KwartengConservativeSept 2022 to Oct 2022source
- Nadhim ZahawiConservativeJul 2022 to Sept 2022source
- Rishi SunakConservativeFeb 2020 to Jul 2022source
- Sajid JavidConservativeJul 2019 to Feb 2020source
- Philip HammondConservativeJul 2016 to Jul 2019source
- George OsborneConservativeMay 2010 to Jul 2016source
- Alistair DarlingLabourJun 2007 to May 2010source
- Gordon BrownLabourMay 1997 to Jun 2007source
The NHS waiting list
This is why so many people wait. The number of hospital treatments waiting to start in England (the referral to treatment waiting list) has grown from about 2.5 million in 2012 to a record of about 7.8 million in 2023, roughly 3.1 times as many. When the list is this long, an appointment that should take weeks can take many months.
About 2.5 million treatments waiting to start
About 4.4 million, just before the pandemic
A record of about 7.8 million
About 7.4 million, still near the record
Source: NHS England, Referral to Treatment. Figures are the incomplete referral to treatment pathways for England, rounded. Official statistics.
Where the money goes
In 2025-26, all public spending comes to about £1.37tn, about £48,000 per household. These are the largest calls on it, each shown as its share of the total.
Cash transfers through the welfare system, including the state pension
Day-to-day health spending
Roads, buildings and loans (capital investment)
Day-to-day education spending
Day-to-day defence spending
These are among the largest items and do not sum to the total, which also covers debt interest, local services and more. Source: Office for Budget Responsibility, 2025-26. Official figures.
Net migration
Net migration is the number of people added to the population each year, immigration minus emigration. It reached a record of about 900,000 in 2023 and has since fallen sharply to 171,000 in the year to December 2025, back near the level before 2021. The ONS revises these estimates as more data arrives.
About 330,000 around the Brexit referendum
About 900,000 at the record peak, an estimate the ONS has since revised
171,000, back near the level before 2021
Source: Office for National Statistics. Long-term international net migration for the UK, rounded, as the ONS revises its estimates. Official statistics.
Promise and delivery
A pledge appears here only once an official body has reported on its outcome, so every verdict is the official record, not our opinion. More are being added under review.
Cut net migration to the tens of thousands
Not metConservative manifestos, 2010, 2015 and 2017 · Immigration
The pledge was never met. Official ONS figures show net migration stayed well above 100,000 throughout, and later rose to a record of about 900,000 in 2023.
Source: Office for National Statistics. Official finding.
Build 40 new hospitals by 2030
Not metConservative government, 2020 commitment (2019 manifesto) · Health
The National Audit Office found: by the definition the government used in 2020, it will not now deliver 40 new hospitals by 2030. Some schemes promised in 2020 face substantial delays and will not be completed by 2030.
Source: National Audit Office. Official finding.
What is coming next
These layers are being built onto the spine above. Each one will be published only once every figure in it is matched to the official record.
The earlier Budgets, 2000 to 2010
The landmark fiscal decisions from 2010 onward are shown above. We are adding the Blair and Brown era Budgets from the archived Treasury documents, each with a checked source.
More promises, checked
The first landmark pledges and their official outcomes are shown above. We are adding more, each published only once an official body has reported, and held to human review.
Migration and housing
Net migration and housing completions, laid against the years each government held office, from the ONS and government building statistics.