Spending Review: Poll reveals members’ priorities as 1 in 4 back defence cuts

More than a quarter of Labour members want to see the government make savings from defence spending in the Spring Statement, exclusive polling for LabourList has revealed.

The poll, conducted by Survation, found that 26% of readers who identified as members would want to see money earmarked for defence to be spent elsewhere, despite the government pledging to boost investment in the military in the coming years.

Only one in five (10%) said international aid and development should be targeted for savings – when the government does plan to make heavy cuts – with only four percent supporting savings to working age and child benefits.

READ MORE: Spending Review: Some MPs resigned to cuts but others warn PLP won’t play ball

Fewer members endorsed any cuts to the government’s environmental policies (at only three percent), with less than one percent respectively backing any reduction in funding for local government, housing, social care or education.

However, some 11 percent supported savings to the government’s pensions bill, with ten percent backing cuts to culture, sport and the arts – despite concerns that such cuts could impact the UK’s “soft power” overseas.

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Among areas Labour members would want to see shielded from savings, 29% of those polled wanted to see NHS funding protected, with 14% wanting local government funding spared from cuts and 13% backing protection for working age and child benefit.

Roughly ten percent said they would want to see environmental spending defended from savings, with only six percent backing similar protections for defence spending.

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