The public wants
Britain
to scrap the Trident nuclear missile system but believes that spending on health and education should rise each year, according to a ComRes poll for The Independent.
By a margin of 58 to 35 per cent, people believe that Trident should be abandoned given the state of the public finances.
But voters still want to see inflation-plus increases for the National Health Service and education.
Some 84 per cent think that, despite the deficit in the public finances, the education budget should grow each year, while 14 per cent disagree. Meanwhile, 82 per cent believe that spending on the NHS should increase every year, while 17 per cent disagree.
According to ComRes, a majority (53 per cent) of the public say it is quite possible they will change their mind about how they will vote at the general election. The Tory vote appears to be the most solid, with 34 per cent of Tory supporters saying they may change their mind, compared to 51 per cent of those who intend to vote Labour and 56 pet vent of those who say they will support the Liberal Democrats.
The poll gives the Tories a 16-point lead, down two points on last month. They Tories are on 40 per cent (down two points on last month), with Labour on 24 per cent (no change), the Liberal Democrats on 21 per cent (up three points) and other parties on 15 per cent (down one point).
ComRes telephoned 1005 GB adults between 4 th and 6 th September 2009. Data were weighted by past vote recall. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.