Public turned off “age of austerity”

A poll shows voters think shielding services is more important than reducing the deficit. The findings are a blow to the Conservative's "age of austerity" message.

A PoliticsHome poll has found that British voters think that shielding services is more important than reducing the budget deficit. The findings will be seen as a further blow to the Conservative party’s economic message about the “age of austerity“.

Politics Home interviewed 1,082 voters over the weekend who were “asked to say whether their greater worry about the next government was that it would cut public spending too deeply, or that it would fail to reduce the budget deficit quickly enough.” The website found:

“Forty per cent of people were more concerned that state services would be cut back too deeply. Meanwhile, only twenty five per cent said that their greater fear was that the deficit would not be tackled with sufficient speed.”

Floating voters were particularly sceptical about prioritising paying back the deficit quickly. According to Politics Home:

“Only sixteen per cent were more worried that debt reduction would be too slow. Meanwhile, more than double – thirty six per cent – are more concerned about the effect of a spending squeeze on public services.”

The finding corroborates polling by Ipsos-MORI last year which found that the public disagree by 48 per cent to 21 per cent that too much is spent on public services. Ipsos-MORI’s CEO Ben Page told Left Foot Forward last year:

“The public are not convinced that there will need to be massive cuts in front line services in order to balance the books. In fact, 50 per cent deny that the debt situation needs addressing in that way.”

Other surveys covered by Left Foot Forward show that, when pushed on bringing down the deficit, the public is split on tax rises versus spending cuts while another poll showed that 60 per cent favour tax increases to help close the budget deficit.

Rachel Reeves, Labour’s PPC for Leeds West and a leading left-wing economist, told Left Foot Forward:

“People want more than an age of austerity. We are one of the richest countries in the world with fantastic people and businesses. The age of austerity that Cameron and Osborne prescribe once again seeks to talk Britain down. It’s not surprising that voters are turned off.”

27 Responses to “Public turned off “age of austerity””

  1. James Plunkett

    Good stuff from @wdjstraw – reminding us public don't want "age of austerity" when it comes to public services – http://cli.gs/5YduQ

  2. Duncan McAlister

    So your blog is still taking the line that ‘the deficit doesn’t matter’? Even Labour now accepts that this is no longer the case. Bury your heads in the sand at your peril.

  3. Avatar photo

    Will Straw

    No, Duncan. The debate is about how and when. We say later (ie when the recovery has bedded in) and with a greater focus on tax rises. This is a difficult debate but the Tories’ “age of austerity” is neither a sensible economic nor political argument.

  4. Francis Urquhart

    What recovery? The meagre 0.3% increase in GDP was only concocted because Labour revised down the GDP figures for the previous quarters – showing that Britain was, in fact, in its worst economic depression since the ’30s. If anything, this “recovery” is largely smoke and mirrors.

    In any case, this poll reflects the extent of Labour’s scaremongering amongst the public and the fact that they refuse to face reality. Britain is practically bankrupt. Cuts need to be made. Everyone has to share its burden, whether through tax rises or spending cuts. Private sector workers are now paid less on average than the public sector. Private sector workers do not enjoy the benefits of gold-plated final salary pensions, largely the result of Brown’s disastrous raid on pension funds. People need to face facts, and realise that wider economic recovery needs real change and a move away from Labour’s debt-fuelled binge.

  5. Liz McShane

    Duncan

    As Polly Toynbee commented last night at a public meeting at Westminster on Conservative Economic Policy (or rather the lack of…) about cutting public expenditure, she asked:

    “who would you prefer? – “a butcher (aka the tories) or a surgeon (Labour)”.

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