What good has the money done?

PUBLIC health; BRITISH education system; PUBLIC schools -- Government policy; MUNICIPAL services; TAXATION; PUBLIC finance; ELECTIONS; BRITISH politics & government, 1997-2007

This article argues that British health and education are improving but not by enough to quell worries about whether taxpayers are getting value for money. On July 12th, Gordon Brown will unveil a new spending programme for the three years to 2007-08, which will thus span the election expected in the summer of 2005. In 2000, a year before the last election, he set out the government's spending plans in a similar way. But this will be a very different occasion. Outside health and education, public spending will flow very slowly after spring 2006. After several years of rapid growth, it has to point to concrete evidence that the extra money is delivering results, especially in health and education, the two public services that voters care most about.