What is the UK Pledge Tracker?
This pledge tracker compares every UK Prime Minister's campaign promises against their actual record in office since 1997. We track what they promised, what they delivered, and where they failed — using only official government data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), NHS England, Bank of England, and Parliament.uk.
No party affiliation. No editorial bias. Just data.
The Record at a Glance
Boris Johnson's broken pledges (1,087 days)
Tony Blair's broken pledges (10 years)
Net migration under Rishi Sunak (record high)
Liz Truss's tenure (shortest PM ever)
Compare Two Prime Ministers Side by Side
For a dedicated side-by-side report across pledges, economy, and records, use our full comparison page. The table below links to each PM's individual pledge breakdown (same methodology on every page).
All Prime Ministers Compared (1997–Present)
Pledge counts match each PM's full page on this site (tracked pledges, same methodology). Migration and NHS cells are indicative peaks / context — see each PM article for sources and dates.
| Prime Minister | Tenure | Pledges Kept | Pledges Broken | Net migration (peak / context) | NHS waits (context) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Blair | 1997–2007 | 28 | 22 | ~250K | 18-week target largely met (era) |
| Gordon Brown | 2007–2010 | 18 | 15 | ~200K | List ~740K low point (era) |
| David Cameron | 2010–2016 | 16 | 20 | 330K peak | Waiting lists rose |
| Theresa May | 2016–2019 | 14 | 18 | 282K peak | Waiting lists continued up |
| Boris Johnson | July 2019–Sept 2022 | 8 | 24 | 504K | List ~6.7M (exit) |
| Liz Truss | Sept–Oct 2022 | 1 | 10 | 11.1% CPI peak (era) | — |
| Rishi Sunak | Oct 2022–July 2024 | 12 | 11 | 764K (record, YE Jun 2023) | List peak ~7.54M |
| Keir Starmer | July 2024–present | 2 | 7 | 204K (YE Jun 2025 prov.) | List ~7.1M (trend) |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a pledge tracker and why does it matter?
A pledge tracker is a political accountability tool that compares a leader's campaign promises against their actual record. It matters because voters deserve to know: Did the leader keep their word? This tracker makes that comparison transparent and data-driven, with no political spin — just official government figures.
How do you define "broken promise" vs "kept promise"?
We classify pledges using three categories:
- Kept: The PM took concrete action that measurably achieved the stated goal
- Broken: The PM failed to achieve the stated goal despite having the authority to act
- Partial: Significant delivery with major caveats, or still in progress where relevant
Where does your data come from?
All headline statistics come directly from official UK government sources:
- Office for National Statistics (ONS) — Migration figures, inflation, wage data
- NHS England — Waiting list statistics
- Bank of England — Interest rates, monetary policy outcomes
- Parliament.uk — Legislative records, passing/failing of bills
Pledge classifications use the same methodology as each PM's full page; see About & methodology.
Can I compare two PMs side-by-side?
Yes. Use our full comparison report for side-by-side metrics. On this page, use the master table and click any Prime Minister's name for their complete pledge-by-pledge breakdown.
Is this pledge tracker politically neutral?
We have no party affiliation and no editorial bias. Examples from our tracked set:
- Labour PM Tony Blair — 22 broken / 28 kept (tracked pledges)
- Conservative PM Boris Johnson — 24 broken / 8 kept (tracked pledges)
- Both parties are scored with the same methodology
Full detail: About & methodology.
Why is this pledge tracker different from others?
Most political trackers focus on a single PM or a single issue. This site:
- Lists all 8 UK PMs since 1997 in one table with links to deep dives
- Grounds headline stats in official sources (ONS, NHS England, BoE, Parliament)
- Applies one methodology across parties — see About
- Combines pledge counts with migration, NHS, and economic context columns
Can I use this on my phone?
Yes! The pledge tracker is fully responsive and works on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. The comparison table will reflow for smaller screens.
Our data sources
Headline economic and NHS figures come from official UK government statistics. Pledge verdicts are documented on each PM page with sources.
- Office for National Statistics (ONS) — Net migration, inflation (CPI), wage growth, cost of living indices
- NHS England — NHS waiting list statistics, referral-to-treatment times
- Bank of England — Interest rates, inflation targets, monetary policy decisions
- Parliament.uk — Legislative records, bill progress, government announcements
- Gov.uk — Official government statistics and policy announcements
Ready to Dive Deeper?
Explore individual Prime Minister records, compare metrics, and see the full data breakdown.
View Full Comparison Report →