As the conference season begins with talk of the major parties planning huge spending cuts, politicians may want to pause and digest a new poll from Ipsos MORI that says 50% of people do not believe there is a need to cut spending on public services in order to pay off the national debt.
The Royal Society of Arts commissioned poll of 1,041 adults points to only a quarter of people - 24% - believing that public spending cuts are necessary. It also suggests strong support amongst the British public (75%) for efficiency savings that could help cut government spending without damaging public services.
The survey, commissioned in advance of the RSA's party conference events Public Services in a Cold Climate, found that the public is split on hard choices between increasing taxes or reducing spending - particularly if this impacts on key public services.
Whilst clearly no-one likes tax rises, the survey found that if forced, people are more willing to accept rises in business taxes or inheritance tax than rises in council tax, income tax or fuel duty.
The survey found that people are particularly unwilling to accept spending cuts that lead to, for example, charges for GP or hospital visits, larger class sizes, or fewer police.
If forced, they are more willing to accept changes that they probably feel have less personal impact on them, such as requiring patients to make changes to their lifestyle before getting treatment (eg giving up smoking, or changing their diet), or fewer education programmes in prisons.
The Ipsos MORI poll also suggests that Conservative supporters are most likely to call for reductions in public spending rather than tax rises, while Labour supporters are more likely to want spending on public services to be maintained, even if that means increasing the tax they pay.
Commenting on the survey findings, RSA chief executive Matthew Taylor said: "The results from this poll show that most people still think the public finances can be managed without them experiencing any pain. This is not a good starting point for politicians of any party to win approval for being either realistic or bold. The fiscal challenge is also a challenge of political leadership. Conference season will offer an interesting insight into how the parties intend to address the public disconnect."
