Labour members favour tougher welfare stance, poll suggests

Key facts

• A poll of 788 Labour members found 47% believe the government spends too much on welfare.
• 52% of surveyed members prefer raising taxes to fund the current welfare bill.
• 70% of members support higher taxes exclusively on high earners for welfare funding.
• 73% of members advocate for increased government spending on social care through higher taxes.
• 68% of members want Britain to increase defense spending, with 61% supporting tax hikes for this.

A new poll of Labour members suggests a more conservative stance on welfare spending than widely assumed, with a significant portion believing current welfare expenditure is too high and favoring tax increases to fund it. The survey, conducted by ThinkLabour between late June and late July among 788 members, found that while health, the economy, cost of living, and climate change are considered the most important issues, welfare benefits and immigration rank lower.

According to the poll, 47% of Labour members feel the government spends too much on welfare, compared to 21% who believe spending is insufficient. When asked about funding the current welfare bill, 52% preferred raising taxes, with 70% specifically supporting higher taxes on high earners and 24% on everyone.

Conversely, members overwhelmingly supported increased spending on social care, with 73% favoring higher taxes for this purpose. Additionally, 68% of Labour members desired greater defense spending, and 61% of those supporting this view were willing to pay for it through increased taxes.

These findings are likely to be of interest to the government, as they have reportedly been shared with senior strategists in Downing Street. ThinkLabour, formerly known as Labour Together, has strong ties to Andy Burnham. Christabel Cooper, ThinkLabour's interim director of political strategy, stated that Labour members have a "tougher view on welfare than you might think" and understand the importance of defense in the current global climate. She emphasized the need to understand members' actual views rather than relying on assumptions.