Confusion reigns on Labour spending

May 01, 2013, 5:27 PM GMT+0

Nearly half of the general public don’t know where Ed Miliband stands on spending – and a quarter of Labour voters think the position he's announced is something other than it is

Ed Miliband announced after weeks of confusion that Labour’s position on spending come the 2015 election will be to increase borrowing in the short-term, in the hope that this will boost the economy and decrease borrowing in the long-term.

But new YouGov research indicates the message is yet to sink in, with nearly half (41%) saying they “don’t know” or are “not sure” about what Labour have said they will do on borrowing if they win the next election.

And even those who intend to vote Labour are puzzled. A quarter (26%) think the position Mr Miliband has announced is something other than it is and almost a third (29%) don't know, compared to one in four who correctly identify that Mr Miliband said he'll increase borrowing in the short-term to decrease it over time.