The UK national debt is so high due to previous Conservative and Labour Governments spending more money than they have collected in taxes for over two decades.

Reform UK argue that to reduce the national debt, the government must drastically cut public spending, eliminate government 'waste', and trigger rapid economic growth.

IT CAN BE DONE! Sweden's national debt has fallen since the mid 1990's and Debt-to-GDP Ratio is approximately 36.3% (compared to UK at 94%). Sweden is globally viewed as a model of extreme fiscal discipline where debt interest payments cost the state a mere 0.3% to 0.7% of its annual GDP (compared to UK at 3.6%).

Under the current Labour Government borrowing costs have increased to a RECORD HIGH which many analysts believe may be attributed to increases in welfare costs and benefits. Also, irregular and undocumented migration has substantially increased UK public spending, driven by the soaring costs of processing applications and housing asylum seekers and paying benefits to those who are granted right to stay in the UK. Year ending March 2026, a total of 48,581(*) people were granted permission to stay in the UK.

EVERY HOUR NATIONAL DEBT INCREASES BY £15+ MILLION.
The UK is trapped in a vicious cycle: It now borrows money just to pay the interest on its existing debt, spending well over £100 BILLION a year on interest payments alone.

2007: UK Debt-to-GDP ratio = 35%
2026: UK Debt-to-GDP ratio = 94%

Source (*): https://www.gov.uk