
The Record Number That Tells You Nothing
The Office for National Statistics has confirmed it: UK state spending hit a record £1.22 trillion in the last financial year. That is the headline, the one the Treasury wants you to see.
State & Power
Civil service accountability, quango spending, and political overreach.

The Office for National Statistics has confirmed it: UK state spending hit a record £1.22 trillion in the last financial year. That is the headline, the one the Treasury wants you to see.

According to the latest Cabinet Office transparency data, fewer than 2% of all civil service decisions taken in the last financial year required formal ministerial sign-off. That is the official figure, and it is technically correct.

Official figures from the Charity Commission show that 247 statutory inquiries were opened into registered charities in the 2023-24 financial year.

Official figures from the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) reveal that 68% of government major projects are now rated either 'amber' or 'red' for delivery confidence—the worst performance since records began in 2016.