The most recent Opinium poll for the Observer shows that Rishi Sunak did not experience any increase in popularity after implementing tax cuts in his autumn statement last week.
After a week where the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, referred to a decrease in national insurance as “the most significant work tax cut since the 1980s,” Labour’s advantage over the Tories has grown to 16 percentage points.
The current standings for various political parties are as follows: Labour is at 42%, which is an increase of two points from last week. The Conservatives are at 26%, a decrease of one point. The Lib Dems are at 11%, also a decrease of one point. Reform is at 8%, also a decrease of one point. The Greens remain unchanged at 7%.
Voters had differing opinions on the autumn statement, in which Hunt managed to lower some taxes but at the cost of cutting departmental spending in the coming years.
The Office for Budget Responsibility put a damper on Hunt’s announcements by clarifying that the total amount of taxes would continue to increase each year, reaching a postwar peak of 37.7% of GDP by 2028-29.
In general, 23% of those surveyed believed the autumn statement was positive, while 27% believed it was negative. Approximately 50% were undecided.
The choice to increase the national minimum wage by nearly 10%, to £11.44 per hour, and the government pension by 8.5%, received high levels of support, with 78% and 71% respectively expressing approval.
Approximately 63% of individuals believed that reducing national insurance by 2% for employees starting in January was a favorable decision, while 17% held the view that it was an unfavorable decision.
Around a quarter of voters support Jeremy Hunt’s performance as chancellor, while 40% do not, resulting in a net score of -15. Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, fares slightly better with 24% approving and 23% disapproving (+1 net score).
Despite more individuals supporting Labour over the Conservatives in terms of economic management, Labour’s advantage in this area has decreased. Currently, 30% of people favor Labour to handle the economy, while 26% prefer the Tories. However, in late October when Opinium last posed this question, Labour’s lead was at 7%.
Similar falls in Labour’s lead are recorded when voters are asked to choose between the two parties on issues such as which would spend public money more efficientlyor improve public services.
Source: theguardian.com
