Almost half of voters again climbing borrowing at Budget to fund public companies

Almost half of voters back Rachel Reeves hiking borrowing to fund new hospitals, roads and rail networks, a new poll has found.

With just nine days to go until the Budget, 48% said they would support increasing national borrowing to invest in Britain’s broken public services. As the Chancellor considers tweaking rules to allow her to invest billions more in vital infrastructure projects, just 20% said they were opposed.

The survey by JL Partners for the Good Growth Foundation also found 50% of the public agree the new Labour government must take “difficult decisions” on public spending. Among Labour voters the figure rises to a clear majority – 67%. More (44%) continue to blame the defeated Conservatives for the state of the public finances – compared to 31% who blame Keir Starmer’s Labour.

It comes amid tensions at the top of government over spending in cash-strapped Whitehall departments ahead of Labour’s first Budget in almost 15 years. Some Cabinet ministers have bypassed Ms Reeves and expressed their concerns directly with the Prime Minister.

Director of the Good Growth Foundation and former Labour parliamentary candidate Praful Nargund said: “Despite the difficult start to Government, our research indicates that voters largely remain signed up to Labour’s approach to managing the public finances.

He added: “Their message is clearly breaking through, particularly with Labour voters. Across the board people are supportive or open minded to giving the Government the space needed to make difficult decisions.

“There is particularly strong support for borrowing to invest in infrastructure, but the public remains to be convinced on borrowing to invest in clean energy. Nevertheless, the majority of the public is supportive or open-minded to the idea.”

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the NHS wouldn’t be fixed in a single Budget – and warned hospitals would have to play ball on reforms to get extra cash. Government insiders have told the Mirror that millions of scans, appointments and operations risked being cancelled without funding to plug a £9billion hole in the NHS finances left by the Tories.

Mr Streeting refused to be drawn on specific figures, telling Sky’s Trevor Phillips: “I’ve settled with the Chancellor, but we are not going to fix 14 years in one Budget.”

Asked if trusts will need to “play ball” on reform in a separate interview with the BBC, he said: “We definitely need to manage performance. I think it’s a quid pro quo. It’s my responsibility to give system leaders the tools to do the job, and that’s my responsibility as Secretary of State, but it’s their responsibility to deliver.”

Mr Streeting also declined to rule out extending a freeze to income tax thresholds beyond 2028, which could push more people into paying higher rates. Thresholds normally rise in line with inflation but then Chancellor Rishi Sunak imposed a freeze in 2021 after the Covid pandemic.

It means more people are dragged into paying income tax – and higher earners can end up moving to another tax band. Mr Streeting wouldn’t be drawn on the idea but said: “What we’re not going to do is duck the difficult decisions, have Government by gimmick, short-term sticking plasters, because that is exactly how we ended up in this situation.”

:: JL Partners interviewed 2,000 GB adults online between October 11 and 13.