Voters: Don't protect NHS from spending cuts A clear majority of the public does not believe that NHS spending should be ring-fenced from cuts Almost two thirds of the public believe that the NHS should not receive special protection from future spending cuts, according to the results of a new PoliticsHome poll. 1,208 adults were asked, in reference to the news that the NHS will face a £15bn funding shortfall over the next decade, whether they felt that deeper cuts should be made elsewhere to protect the NHS as far as possible, or whether it should be treated in a similar way to other departments. Sixty three per cent of the public held the view that the NHS should face cuts just like other departments. Only a third thought that it should receive special protection. Heavy majorities of Conservative and Liberal Democrat supporters, as well as non-aligned voters, believed that the NHS should face cuts like other departments. Labour supporters also took this view, though by a much narrower majority. It has been announced today that the NHS faces a £15bn funding shortfall over the next decade. It is accepted that whichever party forms the next government will need to make spending cuts in order to make up the current budget deficit. How do you think the government should deal with the NHS funding problems? PoliticsHome interviewed 1,208 adults by email between 10-11 June 2009. Results are weighted by party ID to reflect the UK at large.
Friday 12 June 2009
Realism is out there somewhere!
Pusillanimous politicians lag behind the public. It seems hard to square this with The Times report of general optimism all round!
Christina Speight
PoliticsHome Polls
Public opinion today
Friday 12th June 2009 | 10:33
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