Build 1.5 million homes. Bring back National Service. Rejoin the Single Market. The main political parties have made plenty of election promises. But there is one subject no politician wants to talk about.

The British economy is in trouble. For years, growth has been flat. At the same time, spending on areas like health has risen due to inflation and increasing demand. So the government has to borrow to meet costs.¹

If a government needs more income, it can always raise taxes. But none of the political parties have made that promise during the election campaign. Why not?

The tax burden in Britain is at the highest level in 70 years.² However, UK taxes are still lower than those in most European countries.³ And, whoever wins the election, they will have to find a way of raising more money.

Some people think the main parties are afraid to tell the truth. Politicians worry that voters will reject them if they are honest about the economy. Paul Johnson, the director of the respected IFS think tank, believes both Labour and the Conservatives have failed "to acknowledge some of the most important issues and choices to have faced us in a very long time".⁴

Others think the only priority in an election winning power. Labour leader Keir Starmer has been following a "Ming vase" strategy.⁵ Because he is desperate not to drop the vase, safety matters more than taking risks.

However, tax rises were not the only subject avoided during the build up to the election. Few politicians have talked about the ongoing cost of Brexit.⁶ The ageing population, the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, the declining environment - both main parties have ignored these issues.

But ignoring major events does not mean they go away, as the American election shows. For months the Democrats claimed their candidate, Joe Biden, was young enough to be President. But he struggled in a debate against his opponent Donald Trump, and now the party is in crisis.

A political party has to focus its message during an election campaign. But if that message is a lie - or at least avoids telling the truth - how can a party be trusted?

Are politicians afraid of the truth?

Yes: Politicians are rarely honest with the public, whichever party they belong to. Social media and 24-hour news have only increased opportunities to lie.

No: An electoral campaign is about convincing people to vote for you. Politicians should not lie, but we cannot blame them for only repeating the facts that serve their argument.

Or... Campaigning for government and running a country are two different things. Plenty of subjects get ignored during an election, but tackled once a party is in power.