Rejected
Health: a proposed change
MPs voted on a proposed change to the planned law on health.
For 108 · Against 357
What happened →UK Explained · Updated 4 Oct 2026
The government borrowed £151bn in 2025-26. 7.1 million hospital treatments are waiting.
UK Explained puts government money, hospital waits, pay and jobs, and what Parliament is doing in one place. Public data, finally readable, updated every night.
Where does my tax go?
Enter your yearly pay to see what you pay, and how government spending is divided.
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The big picture
The latest published figures from the Treasury, NHS England, the Office for National Statistics and Parliament.
GOVERNMENT SPENDING
£1,360bn
▲ £70bn more than 2024-25 (cash terms)
£19,574 for every person in the UK. £1,209bn was collected, so £151bn was borrowed (2025-26).
What’s this?
Total managed expenditure: everything the UK public sector spends in a year, including pensions, benefits, health, schools and interest on debt. The figures are in cash terms, so they are not adjusted for rising prices. It cannot tell you whether spending is too high or too low, or how well the money is used.
Source: HM Treasury, ONS · updated 4 Oct 2026
Where the money goes →NATIONAL DEBT
£2.9tn
94% of everything the UK economy produces in a year. Interest costs £130bn a year.
What’s this?
Public sector net debt: what the whole public sector owes, minus the money and easily sold assets it holds. It is the total of past borrowing, built up over many years. It cannot tell you whether the level is a problem: that depends on interest rates, growth and what the borrowing paid for.
Source: HM Treasury, ONS · updated 4 Oct 2026
The big picture →WAITING FOR HOSPITAL TREATMENT
7.1m
▼ 0.26m fewer than a year earlier
people in England. 65% have waited under 18 weeks; the NHS standard is 92% (July 2026).
What’s this?
The number of treatments waiting to start after a referral, such as an operation or a hospital appointment. One person can be waiting for more than one treatment, so this counts treatments, not people. It cannot tell you how urgent each case is.
Source: NHS England · July 2026
NHS waiting times →TYPICAL FULL-TIME PAY
£767 a week
UK median, 2025. 3.9% of working-age people claim unemployment-related benefits.
What’s this?
The median is the middle value: half of full-time employees earn more and half earn less. It is before tax. The claimant count is people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance or Universal Credit while looking for work. It cannot tell you about part-time workers or people without a job: pay covers only people working full time, and it is before tax.
Source: ONS (via Nomis) · pay 2025, claimants August 2026
Compare your area →VOTES IN PARLIAMENT THIS WEEK
9
1 had MPs voting against their own party. 17 government bills are in progress.
What’s this?
A vote in the House of Commons is called a division. We count votes held since Monday. A bill is a proposed new law; ‘in progress’ means it is still going through Parliament.
Source: Commons Votes API · week of 7 Sep
Inside Parliament →PETITIONS WAITING FOR A DEBATE
14
Each has over 100,000 signatures. The most-signed open petition has 127,017.
What’s this?
Anyone can start a petition on the Parliament website. Over 10,000 signatures gets a government response; over 100,000 means Parliament will consider it for debate.
Source: petition.parliament.uk · updated 4 Oct 2026
Petitions →Subjects side by side
What the government spends on each subject, how often MPs have voted on it, and one figure on how things stand. Open a subject for the detail.
| Subject | Spent, 2025-26 | Share of spending | Votes, 12 months | A related figure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health | £257.5bn | 19% | 13 | 7.1m people waiting for hospital treatment in England, 65% for under 18 weeks |
| Education | £125.7bn | 9% | 16 | – |
| Defence and security | £65.4bn | 5% | 23 | – |
| Housing | £22.5bn | 2% | 10 | – |
| Transport | £48.9bn | 4% | 9 | – |
| Justice and policing | £55.7bn | 4% | 40 | – |
| Environment and energy | £19.2bn | 1% | 3 | – |
| Tax and spending | – | – | 61 | £1,209bn collected and £1,360bn spent in 2025-26 |
| Immigration and borders | – | – | 5 | – |
Money and votes are shown together for context. Neither explains the other. Sources: HM Treasury, NHS England, Commons Votes API.
Week of 7 Sep