From Austerity to the Cost-of-Living Crisis: What do Voters Want from Government Spending?

The next UK general election looks set to be fought in a context of economic turmoil not seen in the UK since the 2010 election. However, the public mood toward public spending has dramatically shifted since then. Public services and the cost-of-living are at the forefront of voters’ worries, and majorities say they support increases in public spending even though the tax burden is historically high. How do voters form attitudes on economic policy and assess its trade-offs? What role did Brexit, Covid-19 and the 2022 ‘mini-budget’ play in shifting the grounds of the economic debate? How do voters’ characteristics map onto preferences for public spending? Can it truly be said that we now have a ‘post-austerity’ electorate? One of Britain's leading political scientists and a senior frontbencher in Labour's Shadow Cabinet will discuss the state of public opinion on the economy, and how it will shape the next UK general election.