Whose Side Is the Government On? Only 43% Say Workers
New polling commissioned by Tax Justice UK, and conducted by respected independent pollster Survation, shows majority back higher taxes on mega-rich, but think the government isn’t on their side.
The Budget is less than two weeks away. And if the government isn’t careful, Burnham’s honeymoon period could come to a crashing halt, very quickly. New polling we commissioned, conducted by respected independent pollster Survation, and published in the Mirror paints a stark picture. Just 4 in 10 Brits think this government prioritises working people, small businesses or pensioners. Meanwhile, 71% think it prioritises corporations and big business, 67% think it prioritises people with wealth above £10 million, and 65% think it prioritises the bond markets, banks and the finance sector.
Burnham’s big promises to finally fix social care, to build the social housing the UK needs, and to boost investment in our public services have gone down well. But, beyond constantly re-emphasising their commitments to a balanced budget, he’s still being very vague about how he plans to pay for it. Meanwhile, the country is unequivocal.
When asked how Burnham should fund these commitments, 63% backed higher taxes on people with wealth above £10 million. Taxing windfall profits made by energy companies was supported by 62%, while 61% backed higher taxes on excess profits made by banks, as we catapulted into the news earlier this year. By contrast, just 28% supported paying for these priorities through cuts to other public services.
What’s particularly striking is despite none of the major parties backing higher taxes on those with £10million+, they have majority support among Labour (75%), Liberal Democrat (74%), Conservative (55%), Reform (54%), and other voters (71%) alike.
The changes we need are incredibly popular. The problem is they’re being resisted fiercely by the usual suspects: an incredibly small, incredibly rich and incredibly powerful minority determined to protect their narrow, short termist interests at everyone else’s expense. If Burnham is truly on the side of ordinary people, and not yet another leader in hock to the mega-rich, mega-corporations, mega-money institutions and mega-corrupt, he needs to prove it. Because right now, few believe him. And we can’t blame them…
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According to the FT and Politico, Burnham spent much of Monday in what amounted to a mega-money speed-dating session in Downing Street. A huge cohort of CEOs, lobbyists and entrepreneurs were given short meetings, guaranteeing face time with major Ministers, and the Prime Minister himself, to air what Politico described as their “groans and pleas not to raise any more tax”.
To you and me, that might seem like extraordinary access. The kind of access most normal people will never get. The kind of access campaign groups like ours spend years trying to secure through the hard work of research, collective organising, press work, and advocacy. Yet tellingly, some attendees reportedly complained that the new format was a downgrade, offering only a “limited opportunity to meaningfully engage with the PM”. Just let that sink in.
Whilst ordinary people are fighting to have their voices heard, some of the most powerful interests in the country are frustrated that their private audience with the PM, the Chancellor and other decision makers is too short. Perhaps this influence is why we’ve heard Burnham and Healey silence speculation about plans to tax wealth like work, and float ideas about slashing social security support for people at the sharp end. Supposedly they want to keep this a “small Budget.” That’s not good enough. Millions of people are struggling, and the country is clearly ready for bolder action.