Group challenges Brown over economy

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The TaxPayers' Alliance, which campaigns for lower taxes, said that Britain's performance has been "poor across the board" when compared to international competitors.

Its report, entitled Gordon Brown's Economic Failure, states that while the UK has outperformed its European neighbours during Labour's time in power, its growth has lagged behind all other wealthy English-speaking nations.

Had Britain matched US levels of growth since 1997, UK GDP would have been £14 billion higher by 2006, said the report.

And it found that since 1997 the tax burden has increased by 51% in real terms; Government spending has increased by more than the OECD average; and the UK's inflation and interest rates have been higher on average than the US and eurozone.

TaxPayers' Alliance chief executive Matthew Elliott said: "For all Gordon Brown's boasting, his economic stewardship has failed people on every count. Ordinary taxpayers have seen their bills rise and rise, but our services have not improved in return."

A Treasury spokesman said: "This report does not in any way present an accurate picture of the Government's record of economic management.

"The UK is better placed than in the past to weather the global economic downturn - with record levels of employment, low and stable interest rates, and low public debt."

He added: "The claims made about the UK's tax burden are wrong. The fact is that, since 1997, all families on average earnings or less have seen their tax burden fall or remain unchanged."