Here’s an important poll on attitudes to the cuts.

It was commissioned by the BBC for their Newsnight special on the coalition, from ComRes. The full tables are here.

I think the questions here are much better worded than those in the YouGov polls I linked to in my rather lengthy post on resisting the cuts (though I blame the clients – both ComRes and YouGov are good pollsters).

The results here are pretty consistent with the earlier polls though. Most buy the necessity for big cuts, but are beginning to be worried that they will be affected and that they might be going too far. What is new here is that a majority think they might be bad for the wider economy. Read more »

   Filed under: Public services, Public spending, polling | 1 Comment »

The dominant political issue for the life of this government is going to be public spending. Almost all their policies will flow from, or be constrained by, their overwhelming belief that we need to deal with the deficit by cutting spending and doing it quickly.

Some coalition supporters will do this reluctantly. They will recognise the damage that cuts can do to the wider economy, public services and social cohesion. Others are revelling in this opportunity to shrink the state – and certainly “not letting this crisis go to waste”.

Many outside government of course are deeply opposed, and the debate has already started about how best to resist the cuts. Already there are calls for events, campaigns and demonstrations. Today’s lobby against the cuts to new schools is an early candidate for having captured this mood most successfully.

But it is important to think strategically about campaigns if we want them to have a result. That starts with working out where we are now, where we want to get to and how we make that journey. Read more »

   Filed under: Economics, Politics, Public services, Public spending, polling | 4 Comments »

Given that the team here have been working pretty relentlessly on the crisis in the labour market for the last year, I couldn’t help but feel a small twinge of pride at the fact that 10% of the population seem to subconsciously assume that the boss of Apple must work for the TUC.  By this logic, of course, Alan Sugar owns Tate and Lyle and Stuart Rose runs Interflora!

   Filed under: polling | 1 Comment »

Homelessness charity St Mungos have commissioned a poll from MORI looking at public attitudes to long term unemployment. Here are some highlights: Read more »

   Filed under: Labour market, polling | 6 Comments »

According to an IPSOS-MORI poll (pdf) for the Fawcett Society, a narrow majority of men think that we have a fair pay system while a bigger majority of women disagree.

But when prompted with the size of the pay gap, both men and women want to close it and back equal pay audits.

   Filed under: Earnings, Equality, polling | Comments Off

I missed a poll that the BBC’s Daily Politics show commissioned last week (full results pdf).

It does not show overwhelming support for George Osborne’s deficit reduction package. Here are some of the results: Read more »

   Filed under: Public services, polling | 3 Comments »

For much of the media the only question is how big spending cuts should be and how quickly they should happen.

Many economists disagree. And now we know that voters are sceptical too.

Read more »

   Filed under: Economics, Politics, Public services, polling | 1 Comment »