70% say they do not trust the government’s ability to improve public services

Confidence in the government’s ability to improve the NHS, schools and other public services has fallen to a record low as a wave of strikes has gripped the country, a new poll shows.

Ipsos research for The Standard found that 70 per cent of adults do not believe government policies will improve public services in the long term, while just 23 per cent think they will.

That’s a sharp decline from the 60/31 percent split last March and the worst result since pollsters began asking the question in 2001.

This came amid widespread strikes by teachers, nurses, doctors, ambulance crews, railway workers, civil servants and other public sector workers over pay.

The poll found that a majority (53 percent) believed the government should increase spending on public services even if it means higher taxes or more government debt, the highest result since October 2019.

One fourth supports maintaining these expenses at the current level, and 16 percent wants them cut to allow for lower taxes or less debt.

Just 27 percent believe ministers will increase public spending, a third expect it to be reduced and a third expect it to remain the same.

Six in ten people also disagree with the statement that government policy will improve the UK economy in the long term, with only a third agreeing.

This is again a marked decline compared to March last year, when 48 percent of respondents were negative about the prospect of such improvement and 41 percent positive, and is the bleakest result since June 2009.

The results highlight the challenges facing Chancellor Jeremy Hunt as he finalizes the details of the March 15 budget, which experts say has room for some limited gifts in the short term but faces the need for tax increases in the medium term if he decides to raise public funds on sector pay.

The survey also showed:

• Labor with a 26-point lead in vote intentions in Westminster, unchanged from last month at 51 per cent, the Tories on 25 per cent (down one point) and the Liberal Democrats unchanged on 9 per cent.

• Around two-thirds believe Rishi Sunak’s government has done a poor job of managing the economy, tax and spending and leveling the playing field, which is slightly worse than last July, with 71 per cent sharing this view on its performance on cost reduction life crisis, marginal decline since summer.

• A third think Sir Keir Starmer’s party would do a better job for the economy than the current government, while only 22 per cent say it would do the worst job, Labour’s best result since coming into opposition.

• Satisfaction with Hunt as chancellor has been falling since November: 52 percent dissatisfied, up 12 points, and 26 percent satisfied, down three points, better than his immediate predecessor Kwasi Kwarteng, but otherwise the worst result since George Osborne in March 2016, despite restoring some stability to the government.

• Sir Keir saw his satisfaction levels drop, with 46 per cent dissatisfied, an increase of six points on January, and satisfaction falling by 3 to 34 per cent.

• Among Labor supporters, 29 per cent are dissatisfied, up seven points, and 56 are satisfied, down two points.

• Fifty-nine per cent of the public are dissatisfied with Mr Sunak, an increase of four points, and 27 per cent are satisfied, an increase of one point.

• Among Tory supporters, 65 per cent are satisfied, up four points, while 26 per cent are unhappy, down two points.

Detailed party comparison data shows Labor still ahead of the Tories on best economic policy (30% to 24%), taxation (34% to 21%), poverty/inequality (41% to 12%), cutting costs life (36% to 17%), unemployment (34% to 19%) and pensions (26% to 17%), although in most cases its advantage has decreased since October.

Gideon Skinner, director of political research at Ipsos UK, said: “The economy, inflation and the NHS are the most important issues for voters right now, which means Jeremy Hunt has a big week ahead of him as he finalizes his budget.

“There are some signs of recovery from last autumn’s lows, but the government will be concerned that the overall public sentiment on performance to date remains quite negative and with even less confidence that the situation will improve in the future compared to a year ago, especially for public services.

“Labour itself still has some way to go, especially among former Conservative voters, but it has built a small but lasting lead in the economy – which is a significant difference in Keir Starmer’s favor compared to the last few elections.”

Six in ten expect general economic conditions in the UK to worsen in the coming year, while 23 per cent think they will improve, broadly the same as last month.

* Ipsos conducted telephone interviews with 1,004 adults in the UK between February 22 and March 1. The data is weighted.