BRITS lose 1.5 billion hours a year to broken service systems, a report revealed yesterday.

The equivalent time of putting all of Manchester’s workers on hold for a year is being consumed by struggles with GP bookings, council websites, and energy helplines.

The New Britain Project has reported that frustration with “broken Britain” has escalated to a “political and economic emergency,” imposing a £26 billion burden on the economy.

The think tank found that 78 per cent of adults regularly face service-related frustration.

Middle-aged women, often juggling work and care, report the highest levels of stress.

The everyday struggles are pushing voters away from the mainstream parties, with Reform UK and Green Party supporters the most fed up.

Report author Anna McShane cautioned that if Labour ministers do not address the issue, voters may keep turning to other political groups.

She said: “People are fed up with wasting their time.

“If nothing changes, they’ll back parties promising to tear the system apart.”