Daily Mail October 2015 Political Poll

Poll for Daily Mail on tax credits cuts and voting intention

 

A majority of Britons (58%) oppose the cut to tax credits for those in work, while a third (33%) support it, according to a new ComRes poll for the Daily Mail. The poll finds that reducing the size of the welfare state is fairly divisive with around half (47%) supporting the proposition, while 41% oppose it.

While the government’s proposed cuts to working tax credits are opposed by around three in five Britons (58%), when presented with a choice just 8% think the government should continue with its plan to cut tax credits while a third (35%) would prefer to see cuts to foreign aid or raising taxes on high earners (33%) as an alternative way of reducing the deficit. One in five (20%) Britons say they would rather slow the pace of deficit reduction than cut tax credits.

The proposed cut to tax credits splits current Conservative voters with 48% in support of the proposal and 42% opposing it.

Increasing the minimum wage to £9 an hour is very popular with nine in ten (90%) Britons supporting the move. However, more than half (56%) oppose forcing part-time workers on tax credits to seek more hours or lose their tax credits.

The Conservatives have a 5 point lead over Labour in voting intention, down from 9 points in September, as Labour rise by 3 points.

Con      38% (-1)

Lab       33% (+3)

LD        8% (-1)

UKIP     10% (-2)

Green   3% (-1)

SNP      3% (-1)

Other   4% (+1)

Figures in brackets show change from September. Totals may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

 

Full results:

Tax credits

1. Do you support or oppose each of the following proposals?

 

	Support	Oppose	Don’t know
Reducing the size of the welfare state	47%	41%	12%
Cutting tax credits for people who are in work	33%	58%	9%
Forcing part-time workers on tax credits to seek more hours or lose their tax credits	34%	56%	10%
Increasing the minimum wage to £9 an hour	90%	8%	2%

Base: GB adults (n=1,002).

 

Q: As you may know, one of the ways in which the government is trying to reduce the budget deficit is by cutting the amount of money paid out in tax credits to people. Which of the following statements comes closest to your opinion on the cut to tax credits?

	%
The government should go ahead with the tax credit cut	8%
Instead of the cut the government should raise money by increasing taxes on high earners	33%
Instead of the cut to tax credits, they should reduce the amount of money spent on foreign aid	35%
The government should not cut tax credits and instead reduce the budget deficit more slowly	20%
Don’t know	4%

Base: GB adults (n=1,002).

 

Date Published: 30th October 2015

Categories: Economy | GB | Politics | Public and communities | Public Sector | Social | Voting Intention

Client: Daily Mail

Methodology

ComRes interviewed 1,002 GB adults by telephone between 23^rd and 25^th  October 2015. Data were weighted to be demographically representative of all GB adults. Data were also weighted by past vote recall. Voting intention figures are calculated using the ComRes Voter Turnout Model. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.

1. Daily-Mail_October-2015_Political-poll 0.02 MB.