1. MHP Budget Briefing
March 2013

2. The story so far On the issues Party leaders The economy The road to 2015
The Times/Populus polls since the General Election
Cameron at Leveson
37%
VAT up to 20%
EM elected
Lab leader Libya intervention Budget 2012
29%
Budget 2011 Cameron
Tripoli falls
Cameron veto Lords reform EU speech 23%
CSR announced Riots rebellion
Andy Coulson resigns
12%

3. The story so far On the issues Party leaders The economy The road to 2015
The Times/Populus polls since the General Election
Cameron at Leveson
37%
VAT up to 20%
EM elected
Lab leader Libya intervention Budget 2012
29%
Budget 2011 Cameron
Tripoli falls
Cameron veto Lords reform EU speech 23%
CSR announced Riots rebellion
Andy Coulson resigns
12%

4. The story so far On the issues Party leaders The economy The road to 2015
Tory lead / deficit on the issues
Good team 7%
Clear ideas 6%
Deal with immigration 6%
Competent & capable 4%
Tackle welfare abuse 4%
Steer the economy 1%
Business growth 0%
Honest & principled -8%
Shares my values -8%
Balance tax & spend -11%
Improve schools -11%
Is a united party -14%
For ordinary people -24%
Fair deficit reduction -26%
Look after NHS -29%

5. The story so far On the issues Party leaders The economy The road to 2015
Perceptions of the party leaders

6. The story so far On the issues Party leaders The economy The road to 2015
George Osborne & Ed Balls

7. The story so far On the issues Party leaders The economy The road to 2015
Economic Optimism
79%
74% 72%
68% 69% 69% 67% Country as a whole - badly
61% 62%
59% 57% 55%
53% 52% 54% 52%
Me & my family - badly
42% 41% 44% 42% 44%
38% 39% Me & my family – well
34% 34%
28% 27% 26% 27% 29% Country as a whole - well
23%
18%

8. The story so far On the issues Party leaders The economy The road to 2015
Framing the debate over the deficit
Plan A Plan B
54% 55% 55% 54%
51% 51%
49% 49%
46% 45% 45% 46%
March 2011 May 2011 Sep 2011 May 2012 Sep 2012 Mar 2013
Plan A: Britain has a severe debt crisis that threatens international confidence in our economy.
Every year that the country borrows money it costs taxpayers millions in interest payments. The
longer we go on borrowing, the more tax we pay to fund it and the less public services we can
afford. So, even though this means bigger spending cuts that will carry on long after the next
election in 2015 we need to get the country’s finances back to balance as soon as we can.
Plan B: Britain’s debt problem is serious and must be dealt with, but it would damage the
economy and public services if cuts were made too quickly. So, even it means borrowing more
for longer, we should slow the pace of cuts, rather than trying to deal with the problem as soon
as we can.

9. The story so far On the issues Party leaders The economy The road to 2015
Best Economic Team
With our economy facing challenges in the months ahead, who do you most
trust to manage the economy in the best interests of Britain?
David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband and the Shadow
George Osborne Chancellor Ed Balls?
44% 42% 42% 43%
41% 40%
37% 36% 38%
33% 33% 32%
28% 27% 26% 28%
23% 24%

10. The story so far On the issues Party leaders The economy The road to 2015
Preferred Prime Minister
Prefer Cameron as PM 52%
Prefer Miliband as PM 30%
Satisfied with the job David Cameron is doing
24%
overall
Dissatisfied with David Cameron - BUT prefer him
28%
as Prime Minister to Ed Miliband
Dissatisfied with David Cameron - AND prefer Ed
30%
Miliband as Prime Minister
Don't know 19%

11. MHP Budget Briefing
March 2013