ITV News Index

ComRes interviewed 2,012 British adults online between 29^th November and 1^st December 2013 ahead of the Chancellor's Autumn Statement 2013.

Date Published: 05 Dec 2013

Categories: Economy | Politics | Public and communities | UK

Description

OSBORNE HITS HIGHEST ECONOMIC TRUST RATING FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS

 

 

Ahead of his Autumn Statement, a new ComRes poll for ITV News shows George Osborne rising to his highest rating on economic trust for two and a half years. More people (28%) say they trust him to see the country through its current economic situation than have done at any time since June 2011, with the question having been asked every month since the beginning of this Parliament in 2010. However, three in ten British people (29%) agree that George Osborne is turning out to be a competent Chancellor of the Exchequer, compared to 39% who disagree.

On energy prices, just 30% of the British public say that they understand what the Coalition Government’s current plans are to tackle rising energy bills. However, when asked specifically about cutting green duties, the public is sceptical about whether this will actually reduce gas and electricity bills: the majority of Britons (51%) say that they do not expect lower energy taxes to be passed onto consumers and therefore do not expect their bills to get cheaper. Just 28% do expect to pay less for their gas and electricity.

The British public is evenly split about whether the UK economy is getting better, with 34% saying it has got better over the past three months and exactly the same proportion saying it has got worse (34%). However, people are not feeling economic growth in their pockets. Two in five (44%) say that their personal financial situation has got worse in the past three months, compared to just 15% who say it has got better.

 

Ed Miliband also rises to his second-highest rating ever on trust to manage the economy (25%), but David Cameron remains the most trusted politician here (33%).

 

Additional results:

 

·         Three in five Britons (58%) expect the rich to benefit more than the poor from the growing economy if the Conservatives win the next Election, just one in five (20%) disagree.

·         The British public generally supports the Chancellor prioritising tax cuts - two in five (43%) agreeing, and 31% disagreeing.

·         However, Britons are wary of ‘unfunded’ tax cuts: 43% say that George Osborne should not announce tax cuts if it means Government finances will be in a worse state than would otherwise be the case.

·         In advance of an expected cap on increases to business rates, only a quarter of Britons (26%) say that the Coalition Government understands the concerns of small business owners and entrepreneurs. This compares with two thirds of people (66%) who think the Coalition Government understands banks and big businesses.

 

Methodology note:

ComRes interviewed 2,012 British adults online between 29^th November and 1^st December 2013. Data were weighted to be demographically representative of all GB adults aged 18+. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.