Over 40% of Britons Think Ending Austerity Would Be Good Outcome for UK – Poll

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Over 40 percent of UK citizens consider that terminating austerity measures in the country at the moment would be a positive move, a new poll by Sky Data showed on Monday.

"Four in 10 (41%) think ending austerity now would be a good thing, compared with 14% who believe it would be bad and 26% who say it would be neutral. But just 15% of people believe [UK prime minister] Theresa May when she says the government will end austerity — 58% say they do not believe her, with 27% answering don't know," Harry Carr, head of Sky Data, said.

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Only 30 percent of Conservative respondents and just 4 percent of Labour supporters believe that Theresa May would end austerity, while 33 percent and 78 percent, respectively, do not think there is such a possibility.

Earlier in October, during the Conservative Party conference, May said that she would end austerity. Later on Monday, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond is expected to respond to May’s words while delivering the country’s last budget before Brexit.

The United Kingdom began implementing austerity measures in various sectors of public life after the 2007-2008 global financial crisis. The UK government fiscal austerity program was introduced by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition in 2010.