Just 14% trust Nick Clegg to keep the promises he makes, with nearly two thirds (63%) saying that they do not. However, just 18% say they would be more likely to vote for the Liberal Democrats if Nick Clegg were not leader. Half disagree (52%). Although the issue continues to plague the Liberal Democrats, people are more likely to think that the Conservatives (41%) were mainly responsible for raising tuition fees. However, 30% think it was both parties equally and 9% think the Liberal Democrats were more responsible.
Detailed findings
Coalition
Q: Below is a list of policies made into law by the Coalition Government, do you think that the Conservatives or the Liberal Democrats were more responsible for each?
Coalition
- Despite the public being more likely to think raising the personal tax allowance is more the responsibility of the Liberal Democrats (30%) than the Conservatives (22%), the extent to which this is the case has decreased in the past six months. The proportion saying the Liberal Democrats were mainly responsible for it has fallen nine percentage points since March, while the proportion saying it was both parties equally has increased from 19% to 28%.
- The public appears divided about who is mainly responsible for legalisation of same-sex marriages: 23% think the Conservatives, 25% the Liberal Democrats and 30% think both parties equally. The proportion thinking the Liberal Democrats were mainly responsible has fallen five percentage points since March.
Option
|
Conservatives more responsible
|
Both equally
|
Liberal Democrats more responsible
|
Don’t know
|
Raising the personal tax allowance so those people earning less than £10,000 are lifted out of paying tax altogether
|
22%
(+4)
|
28%
(+9)
|
30%
(-9)
|
20%
(-4)
|
Cutting the top rate of tax for people earning more than £150,000 per year from 50p to 45p
|
53%
(-2)
|
18%
(+5)
|
9%
(NC)
|
21%
(-1)
|
Cutting public spending
|
51%
(-7)
|
27%
(+7)
|
5%
(+2)
|
17%
(-1)
|
Raising university tuition fees
|
41%
(-4)
|
30%
(+8)
|
9%
(-1)
|
20%
(-3)
|
The legalisation of same-sex marriages
|
23%
(+6)
|
30%
(+2)
|
25%
(-5)
|
21%
(-4)
|
Introducing free-school meals for all children in the first three years of English primary schools
|
13%
(+3)
|
23%
(+5)
|
42%
(-4)
|
21%
(-5)
|
Re-organisation of the NHS
|
41%
|
30%
|
7%
|
22%
|
Cap on immigration from outside the EU
|
44%
|
24%
|
8%
|
24%
|
Base: All GB adults (n=2,037). Numbers in brackets are changes since March.
Liberal Democrats
- Just 14% say that they trust Nick Clegg to keep the promises he makes with nearly two thirds (63%) saying that they do not. 42% say they feel betrayed by Nick Clegg.
- Britons are more likely to think that the Liberal Democrats were wrong to go into Coalition with the Conservatives in 2010 (44%) than to think they were right (34%).
- One in five British adults (19%) think that the party has proved they are a party that can form a government, although three in five (59%) think not.
Q: Do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements?
Option
|
Agree
|
Disagree
|
Don’t know
|
The Liberal Democrats have become irrelevant
|
56%
|
26%
|
18%
|
It was a mistake for the Liberal Democrats to go into Coalition with the Conservatives in 2010
|
44%
|
34%
|
23%
|
I feel betrayed by Nick Clegg
|
42%
|
31%
|
27%
|
The Liberal Democrats were right to go into Coalition with the Conservatives in 2010
|
34%
|
43%
|
23%
|
The Liberal Democrats can be a force for good in British politics
|
29%
|
47%
|
24%
|
The Liberal Democrats have proved they are a party that can form a government
|
19%
|
59%
|
22%
|
I would be more likely to vote for the Liberal Democrats if Nick Clegg was not Leader
|
18%
|
52%
|
30%
|
I trust Nick Clegg to keep the promises he makes
|
14%
|
63%
|
23%
|
Base: All GB adults (n=2,037).
Leaders and the economy
Leaders and the economy
- The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, is now more trusted on the economy than at any point since October 2010. One in three Britons (32%) say that they trust him to see the country through the current economic situation, up from 28% who said the same in August.
- Nick Clegg is the leader least trusted on the economy by the public (14%). Vince Cable is slightly more trusted than his party leader (19%), but is less trusted than either Ed Miliband or Nigel Farage (22% and 21% respectively).
