Labour members believe Coalition-era austerity and Britain\u2019s departure from the EU are the two main factors behind the UK\u2019s economic woes, exclusive polling for LabourList has shown.<\/p>\n
Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves put growth at the heart of their government\u2019s early messaging, but Britain\u2019s economy has remained stubbornly sluggish throughout their tenure so far.<\/p>\n
Polling carried out for LabourList by Survation found that Labour members overwhelmingly blamed two main factors for the current economic mess facing the country.<\/p>\n
Three quarters of members identified the Conservative-Lib Dem Coalition\u2019s austerity policies (75%) and Brexit (74%) as being responsible for the ongoing problems faced by the Treasury.<\/p>\n
Just nine percent of those polled said austerity was not a factor, and only 8% believe Brexit played no role.<\/p>\n
Rachel Reeves has herself said Brexit unleashed long-term damage upon the British economy, saying that productivity challenges have been \u201ccompounded by the way in which the UK left the European Union\u201d.<\/p>\n
LabourList\u2019s exclusive polling has also shown that members strongly favour closer ties with Europe, although only a third outright support rejoining the bloc.<\/p>\n
But Labour members were more divided on other frequently citied causes of Britain\u2019s economic gloom.<\/p>\n
While the Covid pandemic was all-consuming in everyone\u2019s lives for the best part of two years, fewer than one in three (32%) cited it as major contributor to economic disaster in Britain \u2013 with more (35%) even saying it was not responsible.<\/p>\n
This comes despite experts attributing the early 2020s inflation surge to supply chain shocks caused by the pandemic.<\/p>\n
Around four in ten (39%) Labour members believed the 2008 global financial crisis is a major factor behind the country\u2019s fiscal turmoil, with only slightly fewer (36%) saying it was not.<\/p>\n
However, despite Rachel Reeves\u2019 low net approval rating of -18, party members broadly disagreed that the Chancellor\u2019s fiscal rules are a factor behind the UK\u2019s economic decline.<\/p>\n
More than half of those polled (57%) said the fiscal rules are not to blame against just one in five (20%) who said they are.<\/p>\n
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