Britain Needs Us › Questions
Section 04b — Citizens Audit · Five Questions That Require Answers

We paid for it. We were promised it.
Here is what the data actually shows.

Five formal audit questions researched from official sources — Parliament, NAO, ONS, OBR, DHSC, Homes England, House of Commons Library. Every number is sourced. Every calculation is shown. These are not opinions.

Question 01 · DHSC · NHS England

NHS budget rose £75.7 billion in a decade. One hospital was built.

40
Hospitals promised
1
Actually built
£8.3bn
Agency staff 2024/25

The hospital building programme was launched without a funding plan (Wes Streeting, Jan 2025). £900 million of the capital budget ring-fenced for construction was transferred to cover day-to-day costs in 2023/24. The NHS spent more on agency staff in a single year than the entire 5-year hospital building budget. Budget increased by £75.7bn over 9 years. Maintenance backlog: £13.8bn.

FORMAL QUESTION: If £75.7bn more was spent, why was £900m of hospital construction budget raided for salaries? Where did the extra money go if hospitals were not built and staffing pledges were not met?
Question 02 · MHCLG · Homes England

88% of the £30.5bn housing budget didn't build a single home.

£26.8bn
Benefits — not building
12,198
Social homes built 2024/25
190k
Homes possible at build cost

Government build cost for an affordable home: ~£160,000. £30.5bn ÷ £160k = 190,625 homes per year. Actual 2024/25 social homes built: 12,198. The break-even point between building a home once and paying benefit forever is 17.5 years. After that, a built home costs nothing — benefit continues indefinitely. 1.3 million households wait on the social housing register. 165,000 children in temporary accommodation.

FORMAL QUESTION: Why does 88p in every housing pound go to private landlords rather than building homes? Has Treasury modelled the 17.5-year break-even between building and benefit?
Question 03 · MOD · HM Treasury

£16bn+ to Ukraine. No public vote. £575 per household.

£3bn/yr
Committed to 2030/31
£108/yr
Per household ongoing

Legal — drawn from Treasury Reserve, ratified retrospectively by Parliament via Supplementary Estimates. But no election manifesto specified this commitment. No public vote was held before £3bn/year to 2030 was announced at a NATO summit. The public was informed of commitments already made, not consulted before.

FORMAL QUESTION: Under what statutory authority was £3bn/year committed without a parliamentary vote? Is the Treasury Reserve mechanism sufficient democratic consent for multi-year foreign military commitments?
Question 04 · HMRC · DHSC

7.6 million people pay full NHS tax. Then pay again for private cover.

£7.02bn
Private health market 2024
£0
Tax relief received

A person paying PMI + dental + critical illness + private GP pays £2,400–£6,100/year on top of full NI contributions. They reduce NHS demand (private insurers absorbed 163,680 procedures in Q2 2025 alone) and receive zero tax recognition. Compare: pension contributions receive both income tax and NI relief. Private healthcare receives neither.

FORMAL QUESTION: Is it equitable that 7.6m citizens who relieve £7bn+ in NHS demand annually pay full NI as if they were full NHS users, while pension savers receive double tax relief?
Question 05 · HM Treasury · OBR

Brexit promised £350m/week for NHS. OBR says it costs £100bn/year.

-4%
Long-run GDP (OBR, Mar 2025)
2 million
Fewer jobs (Cambridge Econometrics)

The £350m/week claim was ruled a "clear misuse of official statistics" by the UK Statistics Authority before the vote. No Brexit dividend ever reached the NHS. UK goods exports to EU: 18% below 2019 levels. Net migration rose to 906,000 (2023) vs promised "tens of thousands." £40bn of the 2019–2024 parliament's tax rises estimated to result from Brexit productivity loss.

FORMAL QUESTION: The OBR estimates Brexit costs £100bn/year in lost GDP — 14× the net membership fee saved. What formal assessment of Brexit promises vs outcomes has the government published for citizens?
Citizens Audit · Full Research Document · All Calculations Shown
Five questions. Every number sourced from Parliament, NAO, ONS, OBR.
These are questions. The answers are overdue.
Section 04 — The Challenge to Government

The Spring Budget Is Coming.
For the First Time, Britain Answers Back.

When we reach 10,000 Voice-Keepers, Britain Needs Us will publish Britain's first independent people's response to a Budget — built from the votes of registered citizens. We are preparing a formal open letter containing the evidence of broken promises, the data behind them, and twelve questions that demand answers. Nothing has been sent yet. This is Day One.

£47bn
Deficit overrun vs target
£2.8tn
National debt — no repayment plan
£32/mo
Housing vs £246/mo debt interest
76yr
Highest tax burden since 1948
7.8m
NHS waiting — £572/month paid
12
Formal questions. Zero answers.
Section 10 — The Challenge to Government

The Full Open Letter.
12 Questions. 5 Broken Promises.

This is the formal submission being prepared on behalf of all registered Voice-Keepers. Read it in full, then add your mandate below. It will be dispatched to HM Treasury, the Public Accounts Committee, and all 650 MPs the moment the Voter Mandate is reached.

🗳️ PENDING VOTER APPROVAL — Read the letter, then scroll to the bottom to add your mandate.
BRITAIN NEEDS US
Open Letter to the Chancellor · For Immediate Publication · Non-Partisan
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: [On Mandate]
CONTACT: [email protected]
EMBARGO: None

Open Letter to the Chancellor
Britain's Households Paid £3,366/Month in Tax in 2024/25 — The Evidence of What Was Promised, What Happened, and the Twelve Questions That Require Answers

Submitted on behalf of [X,XXX] registered citizen auditors by Britain Needs Us — Britain's independent People's Audit. Submitted simultaneously to HM Treasury, the Public Accounts Committee, and all 650 Members of Parliament.

Dear Chancellor of the Exchequer,

The average UK household paid £40,392 in tax in 2024/25 — £3,366 every single month. This is the highest tax burden in 76 years. At the same time, the government missed its own deficit target by £47 billion, the national debt stands at £2.8 trillion with no published repayment plan, and housing received £32 per household per month while debt interest consumed £246.

Britain Needs Us is a non-partisan citizen transparency initiative. We are not a political party. We do not campaign for any party or candidate. We are applying the same standard of accountability that any company shareholder is legally entitled to apply to a board of directors.

Before presenting our ten questions, we set out the evidence that makes them necessary. What follows is a record of what was promised, and what actually happened — sourced entirely from the government's own published data.

"In 2024/25 every household in Britain contributed £3,366 per month to the public finances. £246 went to debt interest. £32 went to housing. There is no plan to repay the debt. There is no explanation for the £47bn deficit overrun. We are asking ten questions. We expect answers." — Matt, Founder, Britain Needs Us

HEADLINE FINDINGS — THE PEOPLE'S AUDIT 2024/25

Line Item2023/242024/25ChangePer HH/Month
Per Household Tax (year)£26,293£40,392+£3,554£3,366/month
Net Deficit−£127bn−£122bnvs −£75bn target
Debt Interest£82.9bn£84.8bn+2.3%£246/month
NHS Spend£177bn£197bn+11.3%£572/month
Defence£48bn£54bn+12.5%£157/month
Housing£10bn£11bn+10%£32/month
Tax Burden % GDP38.9%39.4%76-yr high

WHAT THEY ANNOUNCED — WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED

Five pledges. Five outturns. All sourced from the government's own publications. This is why we are asking the questions below.

ANNOUNCED · Oct 2023
"We will cut NHS waiting lists by 2025."
Sunak, Party Conference. +£3.3bn pledged.
REALITY · Feb 2026
7.8m
Waiting. Up from 7.2m. 41,000 nursing posts unfilled. You pay £572/month.
Target % Achieved
0% — List grew by 600,000
ANNOUNCED · 2019
"We will build 40 new hospitals by 2030."
Johnson manifesto. £3.7bn allocated.
REALITY · 2026
6
Confirmed under construction. NAO: "The programme lacks credibility." Most post-2035.
Target % Achieved
15% — 6 of 40 (most post-2035)
ANNOUNCED · 2021 & 2024
"We will build 300,000 homes a year and end the housing crisis."
Both Conservative and Labour manifestos. "Most ambitious in a generation."
REALITY · 2025
156k
Homes built. Half the target. Social homes: 9,564. 1.2m families waiting. You pay £32/month.
Target % Achieved
52% — 156k of 300k promised
ANNOUNCED · 2019–2021
"Levelling Up will close the gap between north and south."
Johnson government. £4.8bn. 332-page white paper. 5,000 civil servants.
REALITY · 2024
0/12
Missions on track. North-South gap wider than 2019. Department abolished. White paper shelved.
Target % Achieved
0% — Dept abolished, 0 of 12 missions met
ANNOUNCED · Every Budget Since 2010
"We are getting debt under control."
Every Chancellor from Osborne to Reeves. "Sound money." "Living within our means."
REALITY · 2026
£2.8tn
National debt. Was £760bn in 2010. Rose every single year under every government. £102k per household. No repayment plan.
Target % Achieved
0% — Debt rose 268% since pledge

The gap between announcement and outturn is not a political point — it is a measurement problem. No mechanism exists to hold government to what it promises. These ten questions are that mechanism.

TWELVE FORMAL ACCOUNTABILITY QUESTIONS — SUBMITTED TO HM TREASURY

Q
01
Deficit
The Deficit — £47bn Over Target

The 2024/25 deficit target was −£75bn. The actual outturn was approximately −£122bn. Which minister is accountable? What corrective measures are in place? When will Parliament receive a full written explanation?

Your household's share of the overrun: £1,638. No explanation published.
Q
02
Debt
National Debt — £2.8 Trillion, No Plan

The debt stands at £2.8 trillion — £102,000 per household. There is no published debt reduction plan. When will the government publish a legally-binding strategy with annual milestones?

Debt interest alone: £246/month per household. Every month. Every year. No end date.
Q
03
Housing
Housing — 88% of Budget Not Building

£30.5bn housing budget. £26.8bn (88%) paid to private landlords as benefit — building zero homes. Build cost: £160,000/home = 190,625 possible. Built: 12,198. Break-even: 17.5 years. 1.3 million families waiting. Has Treasury modelled this? Why does 88p in every housing pound go to landlords?

You pay £32/month for housing. You pay £246/month in debt interest. That is the priority order.
Q
04
Ukraine
Ukraine — £16bn Committed, No Public Vote

£16bn+ to Ukraine since 2022 — £575/household total. £3bn/year pledged to 2030/31 (£108/household/year). Committed via Treasury Reserve, ratified retrospectively. No manifesto commitment. No parliamentary vote before announcement at NATO summit. What is the statutory basis? Does the government believe £108/household/year for a foreign military commitment requires public consent?

£108 per household per year committed until 2030/31 — with no public mandate.
Q
05
Transparency
Budget Transparency — Billions to Households

The Budget is presented in aggregate billions inaccessible to most citizens. Will the government commit to a per-household, per-month breakdown in all future Budget documents?

£1,284bn is how the government talks to you. £44,704/year is how it should.
Q
06
NHS
NHS — 40 Hospitals Pledged, 1 Built

DHSC budget rose £75.7bn in a decade. 40 hospitals pledged by 2030 — 1 genuinely built. Programme launched without a funding plan. £900m capital transferred to salaries. NHS spent £8.3bn on agency staff — more than the entire 5-year Affordable Homes Programme. Maintenance backlog: £13.8bn. Where did the extra £75.7bn go?

You pay £572/month. 7.8 million people are waiting. 40 hospitals promised. 1 built.
Q
07
Productivity
Productivity — Highest Tax, Falling Output

The tax burden is at its highest in 76 years. Public sector productivity has fallen 4.6% since 2019. Will the government publish an annual productivity-per-pound report for every major department?

Paying more. Getting less. No performance framework exists for citizens to verify.
Q
08
Stealth Tax
Fiscal Drag — The £25bn Stealth Tax

Freezing income tax thresholds has raised approximately £25bn in extra revenue as wages rose into higher bands. This was never called a tax rise. No parliamentary debate was held. Will the government subject future threshold freezes to the same parliamentary process as explicit rate changes?

£871/year per household taken without a vote, without a debate, without a line in the Budget speech.
Q
09
Mental Health
Mental Health — 8% of NHS Budget

1 in 4 adults experience a mental health condition annually. Mental health receives approximately 8% of NHS funding while debt interest receives £246 per household per month. When will mental health funding reach a proportion commensurate with its burden of disease?

1 in 4 citizens. 8% of budget. This is a question of proportion, not politics.
Q
10
Democracy
Democratic Accountability — No Mechanism

Citizens vote every five years but have no formal mechanism to participate in how £3,366 of their monthly income is spent. Will the government commit to quarterly citizen-facing financial accounts — in plain English, per household — as a permanent standard?

Every public company publishes quarterly accounts. No government has ever done this for citizens.
Q
11
Double Tax
Private Healthcare — Double Taxation

7.6 million UK adults hold private medical insurance. Each pays full National Insurance and additionally pays £499–£4,500+/year in private premiums. Private insurers absorbed 163,680 NHS procedures in Q2 2025 alone — demand the NHS did not have to meet. Zero tax relief. Pension savers receive double relief. Is it the government's position that citizens who voluntarily remove themselves from NHS demand should pay full NHS tax with zero recognition?

£7bn in NHS demand absorbed by private insurers. £0 recognised by HMRC.
Q
12
Brexit
Brexit — The Promise Audit

The £350m/week NHS claim was ruled "a clear misuse of official statistics" before the vote. No Brexit dividend reached the NHS. OBR (March 2025) forecasts Brexit reduces long-run UK productivity by 4% — £100bn/year, £1.92bn/week. The net saving: £136m/week. For every £1 saved, £14 lost annually. Exports to EU: 18% below 2019. Net migration rose. What formal assessment of Brexit promises vs outturns has been published for citizens?

£350m/week promised. £100bn/year lost. The arithmetic has never been formally published by government.

ANNEXE A — MINISTER CHALLENGE: SUBMITTED SIMULTANEOUSLY TO EACH NAMED MINISTER

No letters have been sent to ministers yet. Formal submissions begin when we reach 10,000 Voice-Keepers. All figures are from each department's own published accounts. This applies the same shareholder accountability standard to every minister regardless of party. All responses will be published verbatim.

HM Treasury
Rachel Reeves
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Your monthly tax£3,366/month
Deficit vs plan−£47bn over target
National debt£2.8tn (£102k/HH)
Tax burden39.4% — 76yr high
Debt repayment planNone published
LETTER NOT YET SENT
Health & Social Care
Wes Streeting
Secretary of State for Health
Budget (per HH/month)£572/month
Budget rise (10 years)+£75.7bn
Hospitals pledged / built40 → 1
NHS waiting list7.8 million people
Agency staff 2024/25£8.3bn
LETTER NOT YET SENT
Housing & Communities
Angela Rayner
Deputy PM & Housing Secretary
Budget (per HH/month)£32/month
Debt interest vs housing£246 vs £32/mo
% budget to landlords88% (not building)
Homes built (2024/25)12,198 of 190,625 possible
Families on waiting list1.3 million
LETTER NOT YET SENT
Ministry of Defence
John Healey
Secretary of State for Defence
Budget (per HH/month)£157/month
Year-on-year increase+12.5% in one year
Ukraine total committed£16bn (no mandate)
Annual Ukraine pledge£3bn/yr to 2030
Per household Ukraine£575 total · £108/yr
LETTER NOT YET SENT
Education
Bridget Phillipson
Secretary of State for Education
Budget (per HH/month)£337/month
Real-terms changeFlat (below inflation)
SEND waiting listsRising sharply
School building backlogRAAC schools unresolved
Per pupil spend vs 2010−5% real terms
LETTER NOT YET SENT
Work & Pensions
Liz Kendall
Secretary of State for DWP
Budget (per HH/month)£543/month
Children in poverty4.2 million
UC daily rate£6.45/day (below poverty)
Welfare vs. housing88% to landlords
Long-term sick (inactive)2.8 million
LETTER NOT YET SENT
ENDS · Submitted by Britain Needs Us on behalf of [X,XXX] registered Voice-Keepers · Non-partisan · Not affiliated with any political party · Data: HM Treasury PESA Jul 2025 · OBR Nov 2025 · ONS PSF Oct 2025 · IFS · Commons Library Jan 2026 · [email protected] · britainneedsus.co.uk
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