Sunday Mirror Budget 2014 Poll

 Methodology:

 

ComRes interviewed 2,001 GB adults online between 12^th and 13^th March 2014. Data were weighted to be demographically representative of all GB adults. Data were also weighted by past vote recall. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.

Date Published: 15 Mar 2014

Categories: Economy | Public and communities | Public Sector | UK

Description

HALF THINK PUBLIC SERVICES HAVE GOT WORSE AS BRITONS SEE LITTLE IMPROVEMENT ACROSS THE ECONOMY

A new ComRes poll for the Sunday Mirror shows that Britons have felt little improvement across a number of economic measures in the last few years.

 

With the Chancellor’s Budget statement next week this poll bears little good news for him and the Government. One in three (34%) Britons say the state of the national economy has improved in the last few years, while around the same proportion (36%) believe it has got worse. 23% say it has stayed the same.

 

One area of good news for the Government has been the official level of unemployment falling, however, the message does not appear to have got through to the public with just 36% saying the number of people unemployed has improved over the last few years, while as many (34%) say it has got worse.

Labour will be buoyed by the fact that some of their key attack points against the Conservatives appear to be sticking with the British public:

·         44% say the ability of their household to pays its monthly bills has got worse in the last few years and just one in eleven (9%) say it has improved. Four in ten (42%) say it has stayed the same. Those who are most likely to say their ability to pay the bills has got worse are those in the traditionally working class social grades DE (55%).

·         Half (51%) of British adults say that job prospects for young people have got worse in the last few years, with just 16% saying they have improved.

o    15% of those aged 18-24 think they have improved, 49% say they have got worse.

·         Despite Mr Cameron wanting to address social mobility, 44% say the ability for anyone to get a good job, regardless of their background has got worse, 14% say better.   

·         More than half (54%) of Britons think that public services have got worse over the last few years with just 7% thinking they have improved and 30% think they have stayed about the same.

o    Conservatives are the most positive about public services improving but even then only 14% think they have improved in the last few years.

The Government’s Help to Buy scheme is now a year old, but still more people think the ability of first time buyers to buy a home has got worse than think it has improved (40% and 30% respectively).

Tom Mludzinski, Head of Political Polling at ComRes said:

“We appear to be experiencing a voteless economic recovery. Despite some economic measures ticking upwards, the public do not appear to be feeling the benefits. George Osborne will deliver his Budget next week knowing that his “omnishambles” Budget two years ago was a turning point, with his party’s position in the polls struggling ever since. He and the Government will need to get the positive messages across to a public that appears not to be hearing them.”

Notes to editors

Topline results:

For each of the following, do you think they have improved, got worse or stayed about the same over the last few years?

Base: All respondents (n=2,001)

Methodology:

ComRes interviewed 2,001 GB adults online between 12^th and 13^th March 2014. Data were weighted to be demographically representative of all GB adults. Data were also weighted by past vote recall. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.