UK public 'favours spending cuts'

donaldtramp

It would seem that the general public agrees with public sector cuts...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8363114.stm

UK public 'favours spending cuts'




The UK public favours tackling the ballooning public deficit with cuts in spending, a BBC poll suggests. The survey found 59% of the 1,005 people polled believed there should be benefit or tax credit cuts - rather than tax hikes - to lower the deficit.
Almost half of those surveyed (48%) also thought there should be a one-year pay freeze for the public sector.
The UK, which now has overall debt of £825bn, is set to borrow a record £175bn over the next two years.
The deficit has ballooned as the UK has entered its longest recession since the Great Depression and has had to bail out several of its largest banks.
The poll, conducted by GfK NOP, asked what the public thinks should be done to tackle the deficit.
Forty-eight percent of those surveyed are in favour of pay freeze for all public sector workers except military, while 31% want a two-year freeze.
A majority favour the highest earning 10% in the public sector taking a 5% pay cut......

ses6jwg

Yeah, but tell them that their benefits (Child Benefit, WTC) might be cut and see what reaction you get then.

ThrowingStonesAtYou

Who did they ask? I'd imagine if they excluded public sector workers from the poll, the balance in favour of public sector cuts would be a fair bit higher.

ThrowingStonesAtYou

ses6jwg wrote: »

Yeah, but tell them that their benefits (Child Benefit, WTC) might be cut and see what reaction you get then.

I'd be happy with that, provided you mean the benefits are scrapped accross the board and not just me specifically. In the long term it should lead to reduced taxes so probably would make no difference to your average working parent anyway.

donaldtramp

Apologies:o It's already been posted by Graham....

http://http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=26935475&postcount=1

But in response to Grahams comment about it "only" being a survey of 10005 people. That is how surveys work! At around 1000 people it can be statistically proven that the thoughts and views are representive of the general population to within a couple of percent.

So the general public want the axe sharpened. What do say to that lefties?

the_ash_and_the_oak

public usually favours spending cuts because public favours cutting spending on non-essential items (the things they don't use) and sees it as unlikely that the any spending on essential items (the things they use) will be cut

donaldtramp

Yup and I'd argue that a large percentage of public sector functions are "non-essential".
And definately not if the dependancy and entitlement culture hadn't been allowed to thrive.

ses6jwg

donaldtramp wrote: »

Yup and I'd argue that a large percentage of public sector functions are "non-essential".
And definately not if the dependancy and entitlement culture hadn't been allowed to thrive.

Please cite some areas of this "large percentage".

The NHS is the largest employer in the UK

ses6jwg

ThrowingStonesAtYou wrote: »

Who did they ask? I'd imagine if they excluded public sector workers from the poll, the balance in favour of public sector cuts would be a fair bit higher.

Then it wouldn't exactly be a fair poll, would it? :rolleyes:

Graham_Devon

donaldtramp wrote: »

Apologies:o It's already been posted by Graham....

http://http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=26935475&postcount=1

But in response to Grahams comment about it "only" being a survey of 10005 people. That is how surveys work! At around 1000 people it can be statistically proven that the thoughts and views are representive of the general population to within a couple of percent.

So the general public want the axe sharpened. What do say to that lefties?

I'd imagine half the poll ARE lefties.

Most people can see things need to be cut. It's what is cut thats the issue.

ses6jwg

What difference does it make whether some people who participate are left wing or public sector workers?!

If their make up is represenative of the population then its a fair poll!

That's like the Daily Mail doing a poll of their readership on immigration, and then saying its "representative" of the UK populace.