During his annual Budget, the Chancellor announced cutting pensioners’ allowances by £3.3 billion and then stating that the top earners would realise a rate reduction of 5p. This has voters up in arms as they believe his is robbing the poor to pay the rich.
In his reverse Robin Hood scheme, the Chancellor also announced that he would uphold the 3p rise on fuel duty this year, further angering voters. According to a report released by ICM, 88% of voters are not happy with the rise which will place the cost of fuel at over 150p.
However, voters do back the Osborne’s plan to impose what is being called a ‘mini mansion tax’ on homes sold at £2 or more. Also, voters are in favour of his plans to raise the income tax threshold. Even so, this does not win any battles for the Liberal Democrats as the party dropped by 2 points in public opinion after the Chancellor’s Budget.
After what is being touted as the Chancellor’s ‘Budget for Millionaires,’ the Tories only have 37% approval amongst voters whilst the Labour Party has regained the lead and are now at 38%. A huge part of disapproval amongst voters is the granny tax which came as a nasty surprise. All the other proposed changes had previously been in public domain but nothing hinted at such extremes in regards to cuts for pensioners.
To further sum up the mood of voters, 63pc disapprove of the granny tax whilst 64% of pensioners are against the move. It should be stated that fewer than 22% of voters actually approve this plan. This new plan will leave the average middle class pensioner worse off by as much as £323 annually. Only the Tory party supporters oppose it by a slim margin (2%) with Liberal Democrats and Labour opposing it by a much wider margin. In what he hoped would be a huge success, the Chancellor’s Budget drew a huge amount of disfavour instead.
