[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by smudgie

You can't get the National debt down until you get rid of the deficit.
Hence the more you spend the more debt will go up.
We pay approx £45-£50 billion a year interest, so best try to get it sorted whilst the interest RATE is reasonably low.
So unless we make cuts and live within our means it will just keep going up.
I reckon they could hike up the income tax but that would only lead to more moaning so it's a case of stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Main points
General government gross debt was £1,731.4 billion at the end of December 2016, equivalent to 89.3% of gross domestic product (GDP); an increase of £65.4 billion on December 2015.
The latest government debt figure exceeds the reference value of 60% of GDP set out in the Protocol on the Excessive Deficit Procedure; general government gross debt first exceeded the 60% Maastricht reference value at the end of 2009 when it was 64.5% of GDP or £979.8 billion.
General government deficit (or net borrowing) decreased by £24.2 billion to £57.2 billion (equivalent to 3.0% GDP) in 2016, compared with 2015.
The Protocol on the Excessive Deficit Procedure states that general government deficit should not exceed 3% of GDP; this is the first time the UK has met this requirement since 2007 when the deficit was 2.7% of GDP or £40.9 billion.

Then how has the deficit decreased and the debt increased?
This also shows the deficit was within range in 2007 and the debt was not out of the Maastricht reference value until 2009, therefor both well in range up to the end of the last govt.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/gover...t/octtodec2016