Category: ICAEW chart of the week

Ross Campbell, Director for the Public Sector for ICAEW, writes:

“With the discussion in politics once again turning to the size of the saving that the UK will make when it stops paying contributions into the EU, this week’s chart is a reminder of what we currently pay and what we get back from the EU.

It is certainly worth noting that while the UK is a net contributor to the EU, both the gross contribution of £290m per week and the net contribution of £165m a week – what actually leaves the UK- are substantially smaller than the £350m a week claimed saving.

What is also worth bearing in mind is that the annual net contribution of approximately £8.6bn is really only about 1% of UK annual government expenditure.”

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Ross Campbell, Director for the Public Sector for the ICAEW, writes:

“This week’s ‘Chart of the Week’ shows two things.

First, that when the government talks about net borrowing, it doesn’t actually include everything that gives rise to an increase in the Government’s debts.  This is a statistical convention, but we accountants tend to think it is misleading as it under-represents the extent to which the country is living beyond its means.

Two, and more importantly, that the UK state is still spending significantly more than it earns in tax and other revenues.  It’s all very well calling for increases in public spending, but as existing spending is not currently covered by revenues, spending more creates an even bigger long term problem (with interest!) in the form of a growing debt burden. All that does is delay the difficult decisions about whether to raise taxes or cut spending to levels we can afford, all the while putting ever more pressure on public spending as the interest bill goes up.

As business people we know that the state is not a business, but in the long run similar rules apply and if it was a business, then it would be running at an ever increasing loss. We really need to improve financial management in government.”

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Ross Campbell, Director for the Public Sector for ICAEW, writes:

“Here is the latest Chart of the Week from the ICAEW.

This week’s chart shows that public debt has tripled over the last decade.

While economic growth has been at historically low levels over the last decade, reducing tax receipts, government borrowing has rocketed in order to keep paying for public services and social welfare. 

With the average life of borrowing now out to 18 years, as long as the government is still able to borrow, we won’t have to settle our debts anytime soon but we do have to pay the interest on all of this debt.  Let’s hope interest rates stay low!”

To comment, please visit the ICAEW Talk Accountancy blog.