Public services and austerityBen Page, Chief Executiveben.page@Ipsos.com

Public support for the enabling state, the paternalistic state AND the nudging state

20 28 32 13 7

1 2 3 4 5

We love the NHS but no clear idea about health/welfare

Please read each pair of statements and decide which comes closest to your own opinion

Agree much more with A

Agree much more with B

People should be responsible for making their own decisions about their health and welfare - it is no business of the state to interfere

The state should take responsibility for the public's health and welfare - it must protect people from making mistakes they will regret later

/NA

As we start another round of cuts, public is calm (if worried)

5

People do not think they are being affected by cuts AS YOU MAY KNOW, THE GOVERNMENT HAS ANNOUNCED A NUMBER OF SPENDING CUTS TO HELP REDUCE THE NATIONAL DEBT TO WHAT EXTENT, IF AT ALL, HAVE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY BEEN AFFECTED BY THE CUTS SO FAR?

Base: 1,001 British adults 18+, 8th – 11th August 2015 Source: Ipsos MORI

November 2012

August 2015

8%

8%

25%

15%

49%

39%

10%

37%

8%

2%

A great deal A fair amount Not very much Not at all Don't know

76%23%

59%33%

6

More think things have got worse than better….

Base: 1,006 British adults 18+, 11th – 13th September 2015

THINKING ABOUT PUBLIC SERVICES OVERALL, DO YOU THINK THE QUALITY OF PUBLIC SERVICES HAS GOT BETTER OR WORSE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS OR HAS IT STAYED THE SAME?

Source: Ipsos MORI/2013 BBC Bailout Anniversary poll

September 2013

September 2015

3%

4%

12%

12%

42%

39%

20%

23%

20%

20%

3%

3%

Got much better Got a little better Stayed the same Got a little worse Got much worse Don’t know

16%

40%15%

43%

7

…most still disagree the government has the right policies for public services (always do!)On balance, do you agree or disagree with the following statements?In the long term, this government’s policies will improve the state of Britain's public services.

Base: c. 1,000 British adults 18+ every month Source: Ipsos MORI

Jun-

01

Nov

-01

Apr

-02

Sep

-02

Feb-

03

Jul-0

3

Dec

-03

May

-04

Oct

-04

Mar

-05

Aug

-05

Jan-

06

Jun-

06

Nov

-06

Apr

-07

Sep

-07

Feb-

08

Jul-0

8

Dec

-08

May

-09

Oct

-09

Mar

-10

Aug

-10

Jan-

11

Jun-

11

Nov

-11

Apr

-12

Sep

-12

Feb-

13

Jul-1

3

Dec

-13

May

-14

Oct

-14

Mar

-15

Aug

-15

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

36.0039.00

43.00

34.0035.0032.0033.0031.0033.00

29.00

38.0033.0034.0033.0033.0034.00

38.00

45.0039.00

32.0035.00 33.00

37.00

56

37Agree

Disagree

Base: c.1,000 British adults each month

8

Real anxiety about future of NHSTHINKING ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE NHS OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS DO YOU EXPECT IT TO…?

Source: Ipsos MORI

Mar

-02

Oct

-02

May

-03

Dec

-03

Jul-0

4

Feb-

05

Sep

-05

Apr

-06

Nov

-06

Jun-

07

Jan-

08

Aug

-08

Mar

-09

Oct

-09

May

-10

Dec

-10

Jul-1

1

Feb-

12

Sep

-12

Apr

-13

Nov

-13

Jun-

14

Jan-

15

Aug

-15

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

25.0022.0022.00

18.0019.0019.0024.0023.0023.00

26.0021.00

17.0021.00

17.00 19.00

55

19Better

Worse

2013

42217

2013

42248

2013

42217

2013

42217

13%

10%

27%

26%

7%

6%

8%

8%

16%

12%

21%

22%

12%

16%

12%

11%

45%

51%

37%

34%

54%

47%

58%

57%

11%

13%

6%

8%

10%

12%

9%

10%

12%

12%

6%

7%

11%

14%

8%

10%

3%

2%

3%

3%

5%

5%

4%

5%

Got much better Got a little better Stayed the same Got a little worse Got much worse Don’t know

Street lighting

Refuse collec-tion

Street cleaning

Recycling collection

No big shifts in views of local streetscene services – just slight increases in people saying they’ve got worse

9

Base: c.1,000 British adults 18+, 8th – 11th August 2015, and 11th – 13th September 2015Source: Ipsos MORI/2013 BBC Bailout

Anniversary poll

DO YOU THINK [EACH SERVICE] HAS GOT BETTER OR WORSE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, OR HAS IT STAYED THE SAME? IS THAT MUCH OR A LITTLE BETTER/WORSE?

19% 20%

20% 17%

19%

26%

22%

15%

22%21%

48%

25%

48% 12%

29% 23%

2013

42217

2013

42248

2013

42217

15%

12%

9%

7%

14%

10%

18%

20%

11%

12%

11%

14%

44%

46%

35%

35%

38%

33%

9%

10%

9%

14%

4%

9%

6%

6%

7%

9%

3%

6%

8%

6%

29%

23%

30%

29%

Got much better Got a little better Stayed the same Got a little worse Got much worse Don’t know

Leisure centres

Parks and open spaces

Libraries

Slightly greater shifts towards thinking leisure centres and libraries have got worse – but relatively few noticing changes

10

Base: 1,001 British adults 18+, 8th – 11th August 2015, and 11th – 13th September 2015Source: Ipsos MORI/2013 BBC Bailout Anniversary poll

DO YOU THINK [EACH SERVICE] HAS GOT BETTER OR WORSE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, OR HAS IT STAYED THE SAME? IS THAT MUCH OR A LITTLE BETTER/WORSE?

24% 15%

25% 7%

20%

23%

33%

16%

19%

16%

32%

15%

2013

42217

2013

42217

4%

4%

8%

8%

7%

10%

13%

11%

20%

28%

39%

37%

18%

18%

11%

14%

49%

39%

8%

11%

2%

2%

20%

20%

Got much better Got a little better Stayed the same Got a little worse Got much worse Don’t know

Bus services

Road mainten-ance

Concern about road maintenance still very high, if lower than in 2015

11

Base: 1,001 British adults 18+, 8th – 11th August 2015 Source: Ipsos MORI/2013 BBC Bailout Anniversary poll

DO YOU THINK [EACH SERVICE] HAS GOT BETTER OR WORSE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, OR HAS IT STAYED THE SAME? IS THAT MUCH OR A LITTLE BETTER/WORSE?

19% 25%

21% 19%

11%

57%14%

67%

12

31%

27%

16%

21%

12%

18%

16%

15%

21%

16%

4%

3%

Strongly agree Tend to agree Neither agree nor disagree Tend to disagree Strongly disagreeDon’t know

2015

2013

Base: 1,006 British adults 18+, 11th – 13th September 2015, Source: Ipsos MORI/2013 BBC Bailout Anniversary poll

TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS?

People more likely to agree than disagree that cuts to welfare gone too far…

I THINK CUTS TO WELFARE AND BENEFITS HAVE GONE TOO FAR

48% 31%

37%47%

13

29%

22%

30%

25%

11%

16%

9%

17%

16%

17%

6%

3%

Strongly agree Tend to agree Neither agree nor disagree Tend to disagree Strongly disagreeDon’t know

2015

2013

Base: 1,006 British adults 18+, 11th – 13th September 2015 Source: Ipsos MORI/2013 BBC Bailout Anniversary poll

TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS?

…although they also think the cuts have been necessary – but less so than in 2013

I THINK REDUCTIONS IN SOCIAL WELFARE BENEFITS HAVE BEEN NECESSARY

But people are not always consistent: eg 37% of those who think welfare cuts have gone too far also think that the reductions in benefits have been necessary

47% 34%

25%59%

14AND WHAT PROPORTION OF THE GOVERNMENT’S PLANNED CUTS TO PUBLIC SPENDING DO YOU THINK HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT SO FAR?

40%

28%

November 2012

August 2015

Greater acknowledgement of persistent austerity?

Base: 1,001 British adults 18+, 8th – 11th August 2015 Source: Ipsos MORI

Thank youben.page@Ipsos.com