Two in five Brits support increased spending on public services even if it means they personally have to pay more tax.
The survey by Ipsos comprising 1,131 UK adults, also found that 27 per cent of respondents would rather cut taxes even if it means less spending on public services.
Support for increased spending in this area rose to 52 per cent for those who voted Labour in the 2019 general election, opposed to 35 per cent of those who voted Conservative.
There was also an age split in the survey, with 46 per cent of over 55s wanting higher spending and 20 per cent preferring tax cuts but among 18-34-year-olds, 34 per cent wanted higher spending while 37 per cent wanted tax cuts.
When asked about specific issues, 61 per cent of respondents said they would support the next chancellor increasing spending on the NHS, even if it meant paying more in taxes.
This was followed by education (44 per cent), policing (41 per cent) and defence (40 per cent).
According to Ipsos, the public are most split on increasing their own personal taxes to pay for higher spending on green projects to reduce the impact of climate change.
Gideon Skinner, senior UK director of politics at Ipsos, said the notion of increased spending on public services even if it means higher personal taxes had the strongest support from Labour Lib Dem and older voters.
“No matter who ends up in number 11 Downing Street on July 5, there is also a clear majority for increasing spending on the NHS , an issue which consistently ranks among the top issues that Britons say matter to them the most.
"With rising waiting lists and declining public satisfaction, party pledges on the NHS are likely to be a critical factor for many voters.”
alina.khan@ft.com
