← Back to front page

The public verdict on the Budget

16:00 | PoliticsHome Polls

The public support the budget’s measures on income tax and banking, but are opposed to the VAT rise, according to new PoliticsHome research. 

1,049 voters were asked to say whether they thought different areas of the budget were particularly good ideas or particularly bad ideas. 

The percentage thinking a measures in a policy area constituted a particularly bad idea was then subtracted from the percentage thinking that they constituted a particularly good idea, to give a net score. 

When each area of the budget was arranged by net score, the decision to raise the personal allowance for income tax came top of the list, on (+42).  (Just one per cent of people thought it was a particularly bad idea). 

In second place was the banking levy (+33), intended to raise £2m in revenue for the government. 

Unpopular

The most unpopular measure was the announcement to raise VAT to 20%.  This struck forty per cent of people as a particularly bad idea, and only twelve per cent of people as a particularly good idea – giving it a net score of -28. 

The measure was seen in a neutral light by Conservative supporters, but strongly opposed by Labour and Lib Dem supporters, as well as non aligned voters. 

Support for balance of budget

Overall, there was support for the balance that the budget struck between tax rises and spending cuts. 

Fifty two per cent of people thought the budget contained about the right balance between spending cuts and tax rises, while thirty five per cent thought there was the wrong balance. 

The proportion approving of the balance of the budget included majorities of supporters of the coalition parties and non aligned voters, as well as almost a quarter of Labour supporters. 

PoliticsHome interviewed 1,049 voters from 22-24 June 2010.  Results are weighted by age, gender and political party identification to reflect the population of Great Britain.