Voters 'trust Tories more' on public spending cuts

More voters trust the Tories to manage spending cuts without harming key public services, according to the results of a poll out today.

Four in five voters believe that significant cuts in public spending are inevitable after the next election regardless of who wins, the Populus survey for The Times found.

The poll also suggests Labour is poised to lose Thursday's crucial by-election in Norwich North. Some 38% of respondents backed the Conservatives nationally, compared with 26% for Labour.

The findings come in the wake of recent clashes between the country's two main parties over the prospect of future spending cuts, and after plummeting tax revenue figures yesterday that underlined the dangerous state of public finances.

The Populus poll, carried out over the weekend, found that 38% of respondents trusted the Tories most to make spending cuts without harming important services, compared to 28% preferring Labour.

Optimism about the economy has also fallen sharply over the past month. The balance of voters thinking that the economy will do well rather than badly has moved from 32% and 63% respectively to 25% and 73%.

In another blow to Labour's general election prospects, it was found that half the public expect an overall Conservative majority after the next election, with only 15% believing that Labour can win a fourth term.

In terms of national voting in a general election, the Lib Dems polled 20% and other parties 16%.

Data from the National Audit Office yesterday showed the Government's tax take plummeted by £32 billion last year as the economic downturn took its toll.

Revenue from income tax, national insurance, VAT, stamp duty, corporation tax and other levies fell by £21.7 billion.

Including dubious debts and liabilities from legal claims brought by taxpayers, the amount of money flowing into the Exchequer dropped by a further £10 billion, the figures showed.

A former Cabinet minister warned at the weekend that Gordon Brown was "heading for trouble" unless he changed his message on the economy and accepted that the state cannot continue spending at the current rate.

Former Defence Secretary John Hutton warned that the Prime Minister's attempt to cast the upcoming election as a choice between Labour investment and Conservative cuts was "too crude" and did not chime with voters' desire for "honesty" from politicians.

The Populus poll was carried out between July 17 and 19, and quizzed 1,504 adults over 18.