ITV News poll: 51% against plans to cut child tax credits

More than half of the British public are against Chancellor George Osborne's plans to cut child tax credits, according to an ITV News poll.

Some 51% of people surveyed by ComRes for ITV said they thought the Government was wrong to be reducing spending on child tax credits.

Sentiment is similar towards working tax credits, with 53% thinking the government is wrong to be cutting it compared to 31% thinking it is right.

However 20% said the cuts will not personally affect them.

Emily Morgan: Britain waits with baited breath for tax credits news

The Chancellor, who is due to give his Autumn Speech next week, has vowed to push on with plans to reform tax credits despite the proposals being blocked by the House of Lords last month.

Mr Osborne has said he will take steps to mitigate the impact of the reforms.

Research by the independent institute for fiscal studies says more than three million families could be left worse off as a result of tax credit changes, with the average family likely to lose around £1,100.

When asked about potential other actions the government could take to reduce the budget deficit instead of cutting tax cuts, our survey found by far the most popular was to reduce foreign aid.

Some 64% of those surveyed favoured reducing foreign aid, followed by 26% who favoured cutting Trident.

Cutting tax credits was favoured by 20% while 11% backed increasing the basic rate of income tax and 10% said borrowing more money, slowing the rate at which the deficit is reduced could be an option.

• The poll was conducted by ComRes for ITV News between November 13 and 15 and involved 2,053 British adults.