Episode 1

Nick Robinson examines how governments collect and spend public money. In the first of a two-part series, he reveals the endless pressure on politicians to spend more, and how hard they find it to resist. He looks at who gets what - and why - and shows how easy it is for money to be wasted.

Featuring frank interviews with Westminster's big beasts and encounters with voters around Britain, the programme provides a fresh insight into what caused the current financial climate, and how tricky it is for governments to balance the books.