'Protect the NHS'

YouGov
June 25, 2010, 6:17 PM GMT+0

Spending on international development should be scaled back while NHS spending should be ring fenced, say the majority of the British public in a post-budget poll.

Instead though, both sectors are being protected from the squeeze, which was announced this week as part of Osborne’s Budget, while other areas will be subject to deeper cuts to make up overall deficit slashing targets.

The number who believe the NHS budget should be protected has risen in the last few days from a substantial 62% to over two thirds (67%) who say they feel that government cuts should come from elsewhere so that the NHS budget doesn’t suffer.

In stark contrast, only 12% of those surveyed feel international development should escape the chop. 68% of respondents believe it is ‘wrong’ that international development spending should be protected over other sectors (although this number has fallen by five percent since June 21st), suggesting members of the public would support a more domestic focus as the economy faces its most severe overhaul in decades.

Survey details and full results