While MPs are on their holidays… YOU decide how to spend OUR TAXES
Nigel Nelson writes in the Sunday People about the results of a poll asking the public to pretend they were Chancellor Alistair Darling with power over Government budgets:
The poll reveals that Gordon Brown would be ill-advised to go ahead with ID cards – only 15 per cent think they are worth the £5billion cost. More than a third of people want the money to give pensioners an extra £8 a week for a year.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling said: “I have yet to meet anyone who thinks ID cards are a good idea. They should be scrapped without delay.”
Labour’s Lindsay Hoyle, of the powerful Commons Business committee, told The People: “We need to reflect on the results of this survey and take on board what we need to deliver on.”
The article gives the actual question posed and the detailed results:
The Government is proposing identity cards costing around £5billion. What do you think the money should be spent on?
ID cards as planned 15%
Cutting the basic rate of income tax by 1p for one year 19%
Increasing the state pension by £8 a week for one year 36%
None of these 24%
Don’t know 5%
The survey was conducted by YouGov Plc on a total sample of 1,765 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken 21 – 23 July 2009. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).
