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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsEconomyStarted 12yrs agoActive 2yrs ago

Should the government make cuts to public spending in order to reduce the national debt?

UK general government gross debt was £2,365.4 billion at the end of Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) 2022, equivalent to 99.6% of gross domestic product (GDP). UK general government deficit (or net borrowing) was £15.8 billion in Quarter 1 2022, equivalent to 2.6% of GDP. In 2022 British government debt rose to its highest level in almost 60 years. Government borrowing increased to 20 billion pounds in September, 2.2 billion pounds more than in September 2021 and 5.2 billion pounds more than forecast in March by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility, the ONS said.

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Answer Overview

Response rates from 425k UK voters.

30%
Yes
70%
No
24%
Yes
49%
No
6%
Yes, but by drastically reducing the benefits and salaries of government officials
7%
No, focus on ending tax evasion instead
1%
Yes, and increase taxes
5%
No, increase taxes on large multinational corporations instead
0%
Yes, and eliminate federal agencies that are unconstitutional
4%
No, cuts to public spending will negatively affect the economy
3%
No, increase taxes on the wealthy instead
2%
No, reduce military spending instead
1%
No, reduce the number of government officials instead

Historical Support

Trend of support over time for each answer from 425k UK voters.

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Historical Importance

Trend of how important this issue is for 425k UK voters.

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Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from UK voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @BDZZ8SPanswered…2wks2W

Yes. Start with triple lock.

 @BDTPSKHanswered…4wks4W

No, drastically cut welfare spending and end Net Zero expenditure instead

 @BDHYWBP answered…1mo1MO

No we should try other routes to decreasing the national debt like increasing taxes on multinational corporations, extremely wealthy individuals we should also end tax loopholes and decrease the number of government officials if possible

 @BDFXWX9answered…2mos2MO

Yes but protect nhs and fire and police

 @BDCBR89 answered…2mos2MO

No but focus on tax evasion, increase taxes on the wealthy and increase taxes on large multinational corporations instead

 @BD925TSanswered…2mos2MO

No they shouldnt. They should lower taxes to increase our tax base

 @BD8279Janswered…2mos2MO

Yes, Cuts to state pensions, no triple lock

 @BD76NS8answered…2mos2MO

No, cut military spending, end tax evasion, tax the wealthy, increase taxes on large multinational corporations.

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Active 2mos ago

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...…6yrs6Y

Should critical race theory be taught in K-12 education?

No

▲  19.8k6 replies4 agree1 disagree

About This Data

Based on 425k responses to this question.

These results come from iSideWith's ongoing political issues survey. We collect over a million responses per day, filter out duplicate and multiple submissions, and break the results down by political party, ideology, age, state, and census demographics (income, race, education, household).

iSideWith is non-partisan — we don't advocate for any party, candidate, or position. We report what the public tells us.

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Cite This Poll

iSideWith. (2026). “Should the government make cuts to public spending in order to reduce the national debt?” — Public Opinion Poll Results. Retrieved June 25, 2026, from https://uk.isidewith.com/polls/488729614

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