Total public spending was expected to be around 418 billion this year. That is equivalent to 7,000 for every person in the UK. It is set to rise to 455bn in 2003-04 and to 481bn in 2004-05.
Talk about where the money goes. Social security, which includes pensions and welfare benefits such as child benefit and jobseeker's allowance, costs 115bn. Around 65bn goes on health services and 54bn on education.
Then law and order, defence and housing. We spend 21bn on borrowing money, which is the interest on debt.
People's attitudes to taxes can vary depending on their political beliefs. The Labour Party and others on the left wing are traditionally in favour of high public spending. They argue that this can be used to benefit the less well off, the elderly, disabled, and sick. Conservatives tend to point to the inefficiency and waste involved in government spending. They and other right-wingers think that lower public spending means a healthier economy that benefits everyone.
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