British voters back Hollande’s anti-austerity agenda

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A new survey, showing overwhelming support from British voters for the anti-austerity policies championed by the new Socialist President of France, has been released by The Centre for Labour and Social Studies (Class) today (Friday, 25 May).

Despite 69 per cent of those surveyed being unaware that 90 per cent of Government spending cuts are yet to take effect, the results show overwhelming support for anti-austerity policies championed by Hollande, which include a raft of measures to kick-start growth; expand educational opportunities for young people; redistribute wealth; and embark on a house building programme of 500,000 extra homes a year. Furthermore the results show that 50 per cent of those who voted for the Conservatives at the last election think the redistribution of wealth from the richest in society is important.

The result of the survey will be unveiled at Class?s launch seminar: Towards 2015 - Strategies for Jobs and Growth in London tomorrow (Saturday, 26 May).

While reducing the deficit is considered ?very important? or ?fairly important? by 85 per cent of those polled, 95 per cent consider creating jobs and reducing unemployment, and encouraging economic growth as ?very? or ?fairly? important.

Measures that are supported to get the economy moving include:

establishing a publicly-owned bank that will lend to small and medium businesses (74 per cent strongly support or tend to support)
providing more financial support for young people from low income families, so they can better afford to go to college or university (73 per cent strongly support or tend to support
a national programme of building 500,000 extra homes a year, including 150,000 new council houses (64 per cent strongly support or tend to support)

Class?s survey follows hard on the heels of this week?s warning by Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the IMF that the UK?s growth is too slow and unemployment is too high ? and that policies to boost demand are needed.

Class?s chair, Steve Hart said:

?The results from this survey show that the consensus behind austerity-focused economic policy has well and truly collapsed. Across Britain and Europe there is now an unmistakable demand for a radical economic alternative to austerity and British people are now searching for new and braver ideas from politicians.?

Class?s policy and media advisor and Independent columnist, Owen Jones, author of Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class, said:

?'Even though most of the Government's ideologically-driven cuts agenda has yet to come, the British people have had enough. This poll show huge enthusiasm for a genuine alternative to the failure of austerity. Across the Channel, voters have already given their verdict on politicians who have failed on growth, jobs, and making the rich pay their fair share of taxes. Our own political establishment has just been served notice, too.?

classonline.org.uk/news/press/british-voters-back-hollandes-anti-austerity-agenda

Interesting. I think people are muddled - the plight of Greece and the possible domino effect scares them. I hear people are money moving in Cyprus as well as Greece and where else I wonder can mumsnet posters tell me? Spain too of course.

Just a while ago - austerity was everybody's by word, wasn't much between the parties. We know we are in a crisis when there is such a swing in a relatively short time.

Like the idea of lots of above - right up my political street - but what will we know in 10 years will bring stability?

I'm not convinced any economist knows how to settle the situation, instill confidence and manage the crisis.

Having just read the survey, it seems that the survey didn't ask the important question, which is 'Are you prepared to pay more tax to....'. Every single one of those measures (apart from cutting the deficit) will raise the tax burden. People love the idea of these things until they actually have to put their hand in their pocket. The survey doesn't tell you much.

The two important things the survey does tell you is that people recognise the urgency of cutting government spending, and that the Guardian/BBC have done a fine job of lying to the population about spending cuts.

Without the price tag, people do tend to say "yes" to things they would not support when prioritising within a budget.

It will be interesting to see if Hollande:

a) does abandon austerity, or (as Labour are attempting here) will continue to use 'anti-austerity' populist rhetoric whilst continuing a cuts agenda (ie the 'Emperor has no clothes' option)
b) does abandon austerity, and really does it. I would be very interested to see how this actually goes - what new spending is started, what is done to pay for it, or are they going to increase their indebtedness at a time when the EU is facing a huge debt problem, and if so at what rates they have to borrow.