Tories lose poll lead in wake of ‘granny tax’ Budget

LABOUR has overturned the Conservatives’ lead in the wake of George Osborne’s highly controversial Budget, according to a poll published today.

The Tories are now trailing Labour by a point, the ICM survey found. A poll by the same company in the days before Wednesday’s Budget showed the Tories leading by three points.

The post-Budget poll, published in today’s Sunday Telegraph, also suggested many voters were against some of central measures in the Chancellor’s statement. Some 63 per cent said they did not support the “granny tax” which will see age-related tax allowances phased out. Only 22 per cent backed the move.

Just 8 per cent of respondents said they thought they would be better off from the Budget, while 37 per cent believed they would be worse off, and 47 per cent thought their circumstances would not change significantly.

Cutting the top rate of income tax for the highest earners, from 50p to 45p, was opposed by 56 per cent, while 36 per cent supported it.

However, there was overwhelming support – from 79 per cent – for the raising of the income tax threshold to £9,205.

Support for Labour, which has voiced strong criticism of the Budget, has risen two points since last weekend to 38 per cent. The Tories are down two on 37 per cent and the Lib Dems are down two on 13 per cent. ICM Research interviewed a random sample of 1,000 British adults on 22 and 23 March.

It also emerged that Lady Bakewell, the Labour peer and TV presenter, will spearhead an e-petition to the Downing Street website calling on ministers to reconsider their “granny tax” plans. She said it was a “fundamentally unfair” measure.