Effect of the Budget

Q Do you think the budget will or will not reduce unemployment/keep inflation down/make the rich richer and the poor poorer?

13 December 1996

Q Do you think the budget will or will not …?

...help to get Britain's economy going?

	Will	Will not	No opinion	Net will
1987*	43	45	12	-2
1988	51	35	14	+16
1989	37	49	14	-12

*Asked as "...help to get Britain's economy growing" in 1987

...reduce unemployment?

	Will	Will not	No opinion	Net will
1985*	13	80	7	-67
1987	21	72	7	-51
1988	30	61	8	-31
1989	28	60	12	-32
1990	16	73	11	-57
1991	10	80	10	-70
1992	14	78	8	-64
1993	11	80	9	-69
1996	11	73	16	-62

*Asked as "...help to reduce unemployment" in 1985

...keep inflation down?

	Will	Will not	No opinion	Net will
1985*	45	47	8	-2
1988	55	33	12	+22
1989	41	49	10	-8
1990	26	66	9	-40
1991	37	52	11	-15
1992	46	43	11	+3
1993	39	48	13	-9
1996	32	51	17	-19

*Asked as "...help to keep inflation down" in 1985

...increase inflation?

	Will	Will not	No opinion	Net will
1988	32	51	17	-19
1989	39	45	16	-6

...increase business confidence?

	Will	Will not	No opinion	Net will
1985*	40	48	12	-8
1988	64	25	11	+39
1989	44	38	18	+6

*Asked as "...help to increase business confidence generally" in 1985

...make the rich richer and the poor poorer?

	Will	Will not	No opinion	Net will
1985*	67	25	8	+42
1988	77	16	7	+59
1989	68	24	8	+44
1990	74	17	9	+57
1991	64	24	12	+40
1992	55	34	11	+21
1993	74	15	11	+59
1996	77	12	10	+65

*Asked as "...help to make the rich richer and the poor poorer" in 1985

...give people an incentive to work harder?

	Will	Will not	No opinion	Net will
1987	29	63	8	-34
1988	39	54	7	-15
1989	25	66	10	-41

*Asked as "...give people an incentive to work hard" in 1989

Base: c. 1,000-1,800 GB adults aged 18+