Four in ten people (39%) think David Cameron is more open and honest about the need to cut public spending in order to reduce the level of national debt, compared to only one-quarter (25%) who think the same of Gordon Brown; the same percentage (25%) say ‘neither’ and 11% don’t know   David Cameron leads Gordon Brown on this measure across all social groups including groups C2 and DE – who are most likely to be affected by public spending cuts.

Nearly twice as many people say the Conservatives would be better than say they would be worse than Labour at managing public finances (28% to 15%).  However, 48% think they’d be the same.

Two-thirds of people (65%) would not support cuts in public spending on things like schools and hospitals to reduce the level of national debt

Almost four in ten (39%) think that public sector workers including doctors, nurses and police officers should accept a pay freeze ‘given the current state of the nation’s finances’

Tax remains toxic - two-thirds of people (67%) are not prepared to pay higher taxes in order to reduce the level of national debt.  Most likely to accept the need for higher taxes are those in higher social grades A and B.

More than four in ten people (42%) will credit the Government’s rescue package if the economy starts to grow again before the next election, including 48% of C2s and 46% of DEs (who are more likely to be Labour voters).