The latest Guardian/ICM poll sees the Conservatives resuming pole position with a 3 point lead on Labour, and the Liberal Democrats clinging onto 15% of the vote. The poll, conducted in the run-up to the chancellor’s budget this week, shows that more voters still believe that Cameron and Osborne (42%) are the best team to manage the economy, ahead of Miliband and Balls on 25%.
However, it is not all good news for the Tories. When asked how they should ensure that the better-off bear a bigger share of the economic burden, more than two thirds (67%) say the government should keep the current 50p top rate of income tax. Meanwhile, a slightly smaller proportion supports the introduction of a tax for people who live in high value homes (62%). At the same time, just under half (47%) support the withdrawal of child benefit from any family where one parent pays a higher rate of tax as a result of earning more than £42,500 per year.
When asked which policies they would most like the chancellor to announce in the budget, 30% mention reducing VAT from 20% to 17.%, while 23% would like a cut in fuel duty, and 19% support increasing personal tax allowances.
The poll also asked the public for their views on Britain’s relationship with the Falklands. A majority of the British public, 61%, think “Britain should protect the Falklands so long as Falkland Islanders want to remain British, no matter what the cost”. Conversely, 32% agree that “the Falklands are a distant outpost of a forgotten era; Britain must recognise this and be ready to negotiate with Argentina over their eventual handover”. Brits seem keen to voice an opinion on the issue, with only 6% saying they ‘don’t know’.
ICM Research interviewed a random sample of 1,000 British adults aged 18+ by telephone between the 16th and 18th March 2012. Data has been weighted to match the demographic profile of the British public. ICM is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.
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Guardian Poll – March 2012 (PDF)
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