Polling by Public First for the Taxpayers’ Alliance finds that tax cuts are popular with workers. Lost in the all-party noise about spending on ‘free things’ is the enduring truth that tax cuts are popular with voters. The key findings were:

• 60% of C2DE voters strongly favour cutting the basic rate of income tax down to 15p in the pound, from 20p now.
• 68% of C2DE voters want tax thresholds linked to inflation or wage growth, so people don’t move into higher rate bands accidentally.
• More than 75% of those polled supported a cap on council tax rises.
• C2DE voters are more than twice as likely as ABC1 voters to back cutting corporation tax to 12.5%
• 68% of C2DE voters, backed abolishing the BBC licence fee, compared to 40% amongst ABC1 voters, one of the biggest disparities found between the two groups.

The patronising attitude of politicians, progressive think-tankers and broadsheet columnists towards the working classes is that they want more welfare spending, in reality they want to be able to keep and spend more of their own money on the things they want – like everybody else. They are pro-business because most of them work in small businesses. Poll after poll shows that the truth is that people who work hard to earn a living resent over-generous welfare benefits more than those on higher incomes; for example 50% of C2DE voters believe there should be a National Insurance “no claims” rebate every five years for people who haven’t claimed Jobseekers’ Allowance. Only 39% of higher earning ABC1 voters think the same.

John O’Connell, from the TaxPayers’ Alliance, says the findings show:

“Too many Westminster wonks waste time on patronising policy ideas which automatically assume people on modest incomes only want high taxes, hate business and are hankering for government handouts. For years, politicians have churned out these condescending and costly policies which mollycoddle the public and end up costing the very people they’re trying to help a fortune in taxes.

“It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that people tend to be aspirational – they want a better life for themselves and their families, and they know that high taxes can get in the way of that dream. They understand that enterprise is a force for good, creating jobs and helping to improve they towns they live in. They know it’s bad news for their communities when governments decide to punish British businesses with even higher taxes. Indeed, our research shows that working class people understand this better than the well-heeled professional classes.

“Clear, tangible tax cuts can be popular. As politicians gear themselves up for weeks of canvassing and door-knocking, they should keep things simple and offer to leave more money in the pockets of those who earned it, and trust them to make better lives for themselves, their families and communities.”

Tax cuts are popular with voters, who knew?

The polling was conducted for the TaxPayers’ Alliance by Public First Ltd. Total sample size was 4,004 with fieldwork between 26 – 30 July 2019. Data here.