Welsh voters 'want Budget to give boost to economy'

Ahead of the Chancellor’s budget announcement, Wales’ largest building society Principality has carried out a survey to find out what Welsh people are hoping George Osborne will do.

Just over five hundred people across Cardiff, Newport, Swansea and Wrexham were surveyed. So what did they want to hear in Wednesday’s announcement?

More than a third of those questioned (35%) thought that stimulating the economy to create jobs was the biggest single priority the Chancellor should address. However, a fifth thought protecting the state pension should be number one on his list. 31% thought that stimulating the jobs market was the one thing the Chancellor could do that would most help boost public confidence in the UK economy, although 22% thought reducing fuel duty would help the most and another 22% chose cutting VAT.

The Government’s spending review – aimed at reducing the budget deficit is planned until 2015, but nearly two thirds of those asked said they thought the Chancellor’s spending cuts had gone far enough already.

When asked whether they’d rather see tax cuts and more reductions in public services in the Budget, or tax rises and more money spent on public services – a third of those who replied said they’d prefer the latter.

40%, however, said they’d like to see both taxes and public spending stay as they are, and a fifth wanted lower taxes and less spent on public services.