David Cameron leads Gordon Brown on four key issues related to economic management.
The pre-election budget presented by the UK Government did not please a large proportion of the population, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample of 2,020 British adults, more than half of respondents (54%) disapprove of the budget, while only three-in-ten (30%) approve of it.
The Deficit
The predicted deficit of £167 billion at the end of the current fiscal year represents “a severe impediment” for 57 per cent of respondents.
One-in-four Britons (24%) believe the deficit outlined in the budget is “a manageable situation” for the future.
Effect of the Budget
Only 22 per cent of respondents are “very confident” or “moderately confident” that the budget will promote economic recovery in the UK, while 71 per cent are “not too confident” or “not confident at all” that this will be the case.
Britons are clearly concerned about the effect the budget will have on their household. Only 10 per cent expect a positive impact, while a majority (57%) foresee a negative impact. Conversely, one third of respondents (32%) believe the budget will be positive for the UK, and 36 per cent think it will be negative.
Brown and Cameron: Head-to-Head
Conservative leader David Cameron has a clear edge over Prime Minister and Labour leader Gordon Brown on several issues. While 39 per cent of respondents express confidence in Cameron to find the right solutions for the UK economy, only 28 per cent feel the same way about Brown. In addition, 45 per cent of respondents think the Tory leader is sensitive to the needs of the country, while just 33 per cent concur when it comes to Brown.
At least half of respondents believe the two main party leaders are more interested in doing what’s best for their political career than doing what’s best for the UK (Brown 54%, Cameron 51%). When asked about whether the leaders have a clear plan to deal with the economic slowdown, 38 per cent of respondents say Cameron has one, while 30 per cent feel the same way about Brown.
Still, Cameron has one decisive advantage over Brown at this stage. Two-in-five respondents (42%) think the Tory leader has a strong team. Just one-in-four Britons (26%) believe the incumbent prime minister has a strong team.
Respondents were also asked which one of the two leaders they trust more to handle four economic issues. Cameron was supported by about a third of respondents in three of them (Minimising the deficit 34%, Boosting the economy 33%, Dealing with Taxes 32%), while Brown could not reach the 24 per cent mark in any of these issues. On job creation, Cameron holds a six-point lead over Brown (28% to 22%).
Analysis
The budget did not boost provide an immediate boost to Brown’s economic credentials. On three key issues related to finance, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer is trailing the opposition leader by at least ten points. Cameron is also regarded as having a stronger team, and being sensitive to the needs of the country as the campaign is set to begin.
The disparity between the expected benefits of the budget is remarkable. At this point, about a third of Britons foresee the spending plan having a positive impact on the country, but just one-in-ten think their household will be better off. This suggests that bread-and-butter issues will take on a more prominent role in the campaign, as the prevalent sentiment at this point is that the budget will not help families.
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CONTACT:
Andy Morris, Research Director, London
+ 44-207-065-7272
andy.morris@angus-reid.com
Methodology: From March 25 to March 26, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 2,020 randomly selected British adults who are Springboard UK panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 2.2%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region data to ensure samples representative of the entire adult population of Great Britain. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.
