I don’t fully trust the government on public spending either

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982

In a shocking, but not wholly unsurprising poll for the Guardian today, it’s revealed that only 14% of people think Labour is telling the truth on the state of the public finances. Even our own supporters do not fully believe Labour, with only 36%, and 26% of Labour voters in 2005, saying they trust the party to tell the truth.

If that’s not bad enough, the topline results of the poll show and increase in support for the Tories over Labour to 17%. See the full results of the Guardian/ICM poll here:

Conservatives: 43% (+2)

Labour: 26% (+1)

Lib Dems: 19% (nc)

Others: 12% (-2)

I’ve already received an email from a supporter saying:

“…that the electorate do not trust Labour on finances is a just point. Why? Due to the contempt shown to the electorate by the “elite” Cabinet and associates. In my view the blatant and clumsy lies used have totally wiped out the credibility of them. That is why I cannot conceive of a fourth term unless we have a personality shake up.”

In a separate poll, taken for LabourList and IPPR, 77% of Labour supporters said that fighting an election on the basis of Labour investment over Tory cuts would fail.

Frankly, I’m not surprised at either set of results. Maybe it says more about my cynicism than anything else, but I and others on LabourList have long said that the election would be lost if it is a battle of investment over cuts – whatever the timing or severity or ideological arguments – because the premise has already been discredited. Reframing the argument time and again to suit Labour’s needs just looks like more spin and manipulation.

Every time I pick up a newspaper, my heart sighs at the thought of what I am about to read – because I don’t always trust the government to tell the truth on my behalf either.

It’s a sorry, humiliating, state of affairs and it’s getting sorrier and more humiliating every day.

On a more positive note, I do believe in free school meals for local children – so I’m off out for a while to canvass up the road.