ITV News Budget Week Cuts Index + Libya Poll

A ComRes/ ITV News poll shows that two thirds of the public feel that the Government should reconsider its cuts programme

Following Chancellor George Osborne’s Budget statement earlier this week, the latest Cuts Index conducted by ComRes and to be broadcast on ITV News at Ten, shows that two thirds (64%) of the public agree that the Government should reconsider its planned spending cuts programme. Just one in five (20%) disagree.

Since the Cuts Index began, the number of people who agree that the coalition Government is cutting public spending too much and too quickly has risen from 45% last October to 58% this week.

Moreover, nearly three quarters of the public (71%) think that Chancellor George Osborne should have done more to help tackle rising fuel prices. 16% disagree and 13% don’t know.

Asked if Osborne was right to describe Wednesday’s Budget as a ‘Budget for growth’, only one in four (26%) agree. Nearly half disagree (44%) with 31% of people unsure. 44% of people believe that the state of the UK economy will get worse in the coming months, while 34% believe there will be no change following the budget statement.

Finally, more than half of the population (51%) thinks that their personal financial situation will worsen over the next six months. Just 22% are optimistic that it will improve.