Living standards the 2015 challenge - Liberal Democrats

Editor's Notes

• #3: The new findings show 51 per cent say that if a political party convinced them it could improve the living standards of people like them they would be more likely to vote that way (15 per cent very likely and 36 per cent quite likely).
• #5: Yet none of the parties are seen as having strong ideas to raise living standards. Respondents were offered a menu of eight measures which could improve living standards and, for each party in turn, asked to choose two or three measures on which that party has good ideas. In every case, around 4 in 10 people felt they had no good ideas at all - 43 per cent said this was true of the Conservatives, 39 per cent for Labour and 47 per cent for the Liberal Democrats.
• #6: Almost half of people (46 per cent) chose a reduction in household bills as the single measure that would most help them financially. Next most popular was a reduction in taxes for low and middle income households – named by almost four in 10 (36 per cent) as the thing that would help them most. After this came measures that would ensure that wages rise in line with economic growth, chosen by nearly one in three (30 per cent).
• #7: Almost half of people (46 per cent) chose a reduction in household bills as the single measure that would most help them financially. Yet only a handful of people think any of the main parties have good ideas to achieve this – just 4 per cent say the Conservatives do, 5 per cent Labour and 3 per cent the Liberal Democrats. Next most popular was a reduction in taxes for low and middle income households – named by almost four in 10 (36 per cent) as the thing that would help them most. Here only 13 per cent feel the Conservatives have good ideas, 7 per cent the Liberal Democrats and 6 per cent Labour.  After this came measures that would ensure that wages rise in line with economic growth, chosen by nearly one in three (30 per cent). Here just 11 per cent feel Labour has good ideas, 6 per cent the Conservatives and 4 per cent the Liberal Democrats.
• #10: The Liberal Democrats strongest areas are seen as delivering affordable and high-quality childcare and reducing taxes for low to middle income families – around one in five Liberal Democrat supporters (19 per cent and 23 per cent respectively) identified these as areas where the party has good ideasIn which of these areas do you think the party you support has especially good ideas? Delivering a system of affordable and high-quality childcare LD Con Lab0.19 0.06 0.05Easing the pressure on low and middle income households by reducing taxes LD Con Lab0.23 0.27 0.09
• #11: In which one or two areas, if any, do you think the three parties have especially good ideas? NONE 18-24 25-39 40-59 60+Conservative 0.30 0.36 0.48 0.49Lib Dem 0.30 0.36 0.52 0.58Labour 0.23 0.32 0.40 0.51
• #12: If a political party convinced you it could take action to improve the living standards of people like you, how much more likely is it that you would vote for them? Total Sco North Mid/Wal Lon RoSVery likely 0.15 0.12 0.18 0.15 0.16 0.12Fairly likely 0.36 0.38 0.42 0.34 0.32 0.34Likely 0.51 0.5 0.6 0.49 0.48 0.46Neither likely nor unlikely 0.31 0.34 0.24 0.32 0.3 0.34Fairly unlikely 0.04 0.06 0.03 0.04 0.06 0.04Very unlikely 0.05 0.04 0.05 0.04 0.05 0.04Unlikely 0.09 0.1 0.08 0.08 0.11 0.08Don't know 0.1 0.06 0.07 0.12 0.11 0.11
• #13: In two years' time, in 2015, do you expect to be better off in 2015 than you are now? now six months earlier Better off 0.25 0.19About the same 0.40 0.28Worse off 0.26 0.46