WE LIVE ON In I ime It I di to: ves inese pensioners are against Thatcher i = 15- ? December 1983 cuts. Nigel Lawsol policy in this autumn's parliamentary financial statement.
Shortly before elected, in 1979, polls did show some significant support for a policy of tax cuts financed by welfare cuts. Thirty three percent of those questioned in Gallup polls for the Daily Telegraph at that time favoured tax cuts at the expense of cuts in health, education and social services. An equal number thirty three percent - opposed such policies Since then the shift in support has been dramatic. By February 1982 only cent of favoured tax health, education, and social services Fifty per cent -many education and social services spending even if it meant tax increases.
By February 1983, 80 per cent of those responding to a Marplan opinion poll wanted no further cuts in health, education or social welfare even if that meant that taxes could not be reduced at all. In short Thatcher is progressively losing the battle around her chief project to cut the welfare state. The Tories reaffirmed that the Tories were have servanve Metropolitan the subject, those questioned of the cuts at the expense of • more than twice as favoured extending health, GLC.
Europe.
rival of Telegraph also completely failed to gain popular support for their policies of destroying local government. No Conpolicy was more loudly trumpeted at the last election than the pledge to abolish the GLO councils. Ken Livingstone has been subjected to a quite unbelievable campaign of vilification in their press. Yet the first opinion poll on for the London Evening Standard of 1 November, found 54 per cent of Londoners against the abolitior GLC and only 22 per cent favouring it. Thatcher's attacks had brought about a two to one majority against the policy of abolishing Most dramatic of all has been the continuing shift of opinion not merely in Britain but throughout Europe on the question of the cruise missiles an the attitude to United States bases i To coincide with the vote of the West German parliament on the ax Pershing missiles the Dail Comiss one specia wide opinion poll on the