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Left Foot Forward > Published by Shamik Das, July 26th 2011 at 4:25 pm

Public more concerned than not about cuts, jobs and prices

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With this morning’s growth figures (pdf) undewhelming at best, the latest Populus poll on public concerns, carried out from Friday-Sunday, makes for more grim reading for the chancellor. On nearly all subject areas about which they were asked, the poll (pdf) shows the public to be more concerned about the future than not – particularly about the cost of fuel and energy.

As Chart 1 below shows (view it enlarged here), 63 per cent of respondents are very concerned about gas and electricity prices, with only 1 per cent not at all concerned, while 57% are very worried about the cost of petrol, against just 7 per cent unconcerned.

Chart 1:

Populus-poll-on-public-concerns-22-24-07-2011
On the effect of cuts in the public sector, 65% are very concerned or somewhat concerned, with 29% just a little or not concerned, while 68% are very or somewhat concerned about unemployment levels, against 29% slightly or unconcerned.

Looking in more detail at the figures for cuts, the poll (pdf) shows a majority of private sector employees who are very or somewhat concerned about cuts (59%), with the figure considerably higher for public sector employess (81%). Seventy per cent of women polled are somewhat or very concerned, with 61% the figure for men. Four per cent of public sector employees are not at all concerned about the effect of cuts, against 13% in the private sector.

Sixty nine per cent are very or somewhat concerned about the state of the NHS – against 28% just a little or not at all concerned – and 50% are very or somewhat concerned about crime and anti-social behaviour in their area, versus 47% just a little or not at all concerned.

Elsewhere, the survey finds 51% think the economy is in a worse shape than it was 12 months ago (33% say the same, 9% say it’s in a better shape), with 35% expecting the economy to be in a worse shape in 12 months’ time than it is now (36% say it’ll be the same, 21% say it’ll be in a better shape).

  • http://twitter.com/puffles2010/status/95878422777184256 The Dragon Fairy

    Public more concerned than not about cuts, jobs and prices: http://bit.ly/oKLR4G reports @ShamikDas

  • http://twitter.com/bipolarbearmd/status/95878902408429568 TheBiPolarBearMD

    Public more concerned than not about cuts, jobs and prices: http://bit.ly/oKLR4G reports @ShamikDas

  • http://twitter.com/therightarticle/status/95879314297470976 Michael

    Public more concerned than not about cuts, jobs and prices l Shamik Das l Left Foot Forward – http://j.mp/qJlRzL

  • http://twitter.com/uptownjazznet/status/95880915661750273 DJ A-Train

    Public more concerned than not about cuts, jobs and prices: http://bit.ly/oKLR4G reports @ShamikDas

  • http://twitter.com/bristolnuj/status/95881744426868736 Bristol NUJ

    Public more concerned than not about cuts, jobs and prices: http://bit.ly/oKLR4G reports @ShamikDas

  • http://twitter.com/unitonehifi/status/95882178935787521 chris star

    Public more concerned than not about cuts, jobs and prices
    http://j.mp/qJlRzL

  • http://twitter.com/lenarthur2/status/95888406504153088 Len Arthur

    Public more concerned than not about cuts, jobs and prices: http://bit.ly/oKLR4G reports @ShamikDas

  • http://twitter.com/nobiggovduh/status/95899018214899712 NoBigGovDuh

    Public more concerned than not about cuts, jobs and prices: http://bit.ly/oKLR4G reports @ShamikDas

  • Selohesra

    You’d be pretty heartless not to have some concerns about cutting costs – even some of the non-jobs in public sector. However that does not mean it isnt the right thing to do – afterall if we just went for popular public opinion we would have left the EU and brought back capital punnishment.

  • Richard

    You mean such as the host of non-jobs at Pickles’ DCLG such as the Deputy Director of Marketing and Channels who is in charge of critical national matters like the DCLG Twitter Feed?

  • http://twitter.com/cityplymunison/status/95927290126532608 Plymouth City UNISON

    You are not alone! There is widespread Public Concern about Cuts, Jobs and Price Rises: http://bit.ly/oKLR4G. Via @ShamikDas

  • http://twitter.com/cityplymunison/status/95927290126532608 Plymouth City UNISON

    You are not alone! There is widespread Public Concern about Cuts, Jobs and Price Rises: http://bit.ly/oKLR4G. Via @ShamikDas

  • http://twitter.com/cityplymunison/status/95927290126532608 Plymouth City UNISON

    You are not alone! There is widespread Public Concern about Cuts, Jobs and Price Rises: http://bit.ly/oKLR4G. Via @ShamikDas

  • http://twitter.com/staffsunison/status/95965861583667200 Staffordshire UNISON

    You are not alone! There is widespread Public Concern about Cuts, Jobs and Price Rises: http://bit.ly/oKLR4G. Via @ShamikDas

  • http://twitter.com/staffsunison/status/95965861583667200 Staffordshire UNISON

    You are not alone! There is widespread Public Concern about Cuts, Jobs and Price Rises: http://bit.ly/oKLR4G. Via @ShamikDas

  • http://twitter.com/staffsunison/status/95965861583667200 Staffordshire UNISON

    You are not alone! There is widespread Public Concern about Cuts, Jobs and Price Rises: http://bit.ly/oKLR4G. Via @ShamikDas

  • http://twitter.com/staffsunison/status/95971198659342336 Staffordshire UNISON

    “@cityplymUNISON: You are not alone! There is widespread Public Concern about Cuts, Jobs and Price Rises: http://t.co/o1ztjTq

  • http://twitter.com/cityplymunison/status/96128554722533377 Plymouth City UNISON

    You are not alone! There is widespread Public Concern about Cuts, Jobs and Price Rises: http://bit.ly/oKLR4G. Via @ShamikDas

  • http://twitter.com/shamikdas/status/96129494573785089 Shamik Das

    You are not alone! There is widespread Public Concern about Cuts, Jobs and Price Rises: http://bit.ly/oKLR4G. Via @ShamikDas

  • Leon Wolfson

    Ah, the “non-jobs” which were highlighted in the press, which were studied and found to provide value and save on other costs? Yea, those.

  • Selohesra

    I meam non-jobs like paper shufflers, diversity co-ordinators or full time union officials paid for by the tax payer such as “Nurse” Pilgrim.

  • Leon Wolfson

    Mm-hum. As I said, the jobs highlighted all provided value. Let’s have some concrete examples from you.