Osborne told to communicate more to win support for cuts

Chancellor George Osborne has a huge job ahead if he is to win popular backing for unprecedented government cutbacks, according to a new report.

Only a small minority of people understand why the government needs to cut spending and how that will affect them, while three quarters of people have no idea how the government will decide where the knife should fall, business consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers has found.

Jon Sibson, a partner at PwC, said: ’The public is hungry for knowledge on the deficit but current communications around the fiscal consolidation have yet to hit the mark.’

Sibson said the experience of other countries overseas has shown that good communication has made it easier for governments to make necessary cuts.

There was some good news for Osborne as he struggles to find ways to cut Britain's £155 billion deficit over the next five years as the study showed that even some of the more difficult decisions can win support if there is a proper discussion about why they are needed.   

In addition to the poll, PwC drew results from a ‘Citizens’ Jury’ of 24 people who spent three and half days debating and discussing ideas on areas for savings. The vast majority (79%) initially backed government plans to ring-fence NHS spending from the cuts. But they reversed their views at the end of the debate, with 91% wanting to take the ring-fence off.