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Public sector staff abandon Labour amid fear for jobs
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor16 Jun 2009
Labour's support among public sector workers has collapsed amid fears that the soaring national debt will lead to massive job losses.
A survey revealed today that just over 30 per cent of teachers, nurses and other workers say they will back Gordon Brown, down from 42 per cent a year ago.
Labour's share of public sector support, its lowest on record, suggests the Prime Minister is even losing the "payroll vote" of those workers who have benefited from billions of extra state spending in recent years.
The Ipsos/Mori poll came amid a new warning that huge numbers of public sector jobs could go in the next five years in a bid to balance the nation's finances.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development predicted 30,000 jobs would be axed by councils in the next year alone.
But across the whole of the public sector, it warned that up to 350,000 jobs would go between next year and 2014/15.
The institute predicted that public sector unions would wage a "guerilla war" against job losses with strikes plaguing any government that has to undertake the cuts.
A separate ICM/Guardian poll today showed Labour's once impregnable lead as the party most likely to protect public services is now very narrow.
Some 48 per cent of voters think the party will protect such services, but 46 per cent think the Tories will do the same.
The findings are a blow to Mr Brown's hopes of drawing a "Labour investment, Tory cuts" dividing line ahead of the general election.
In recent months, the Conservatives have claimed rising support among doctors and teachers and others infuriated by the Government's targets culture.
Only this week, teaching unions welcomed Tory plans to dump Sats tests for primary schools.
The Tories have also insisted that while the NHS and schools spending could be ring-fenced, they are being honest about the likely cuts to the public sector triggered by the need to get finances back into balance.
Unison's general secretary Dave Prentis said the Ipsos/Mori findings, published ahead of the union's annual conference in Brighton, were "shocking".
"Public sector workers were always regarded as the heartlands of Labour, but that vote has collapsed. I know why they have turned away - they feel that Labour has deserted them.
"The recent elections were not an isolated blip or a protest vote but a glimpse into the future."
The ICM/Guardian poll put Labour on 27 per cent - down just one point over the past month despite the leadership squabbles.
It had the Tories unchanged on 39 per cent and the Liberal Democrats down two points at 18 per cent.
CIPD chief economist John Philpott said: "The public sector has yet to feel the full impact of the recession, and the resultant bloodbath in the public finances."
Reader views (8)
"we could lose 300,000 public sector jobs without noticing it.- Morvan, Saulieu, France"
Presumably that refers to France - after Italy surely the most beaurocratic (and strike-bound) country in Western Europe.
- Steve, London, UK, 17/06/2009 10:36
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"those workers who have benefited from billions of extra state spending in recent years"
Presumably a reference to the non jobs good old Gordon has created, he's almost like Robin Hood, he robs from the gainfully employed and gives to the inept & lazy.
- Bob, Cheam, 17/06/2009 09:01
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I think the Govt. will find Political Terra Firma in its support for the Public Sector.
These maybe dire times. However, we will always need Defence, Health and Education.
- Paul, Bromley, 16/06/2009 23:03
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Well done Gordon Brown, you created the conditions for this!
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke, Hants, 16/06/2009 21:50
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I think that you missed a nought off that figure - we could lose 300,000 public sector jobs without noticing it.
- Morvan, Saulieu, France, 16/06/2009 17:11
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Bring on the cuts. I'm fed up of being told what to think and do by a bunch of thick oiks.
- Alan In Bow, London, 16/06/2009 16:24
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The problem is/was that for the last 10 years we have seen a significant rise in the public sector workforce, which coincided with an economic boom and a healthy national debt (inherited from the tories). The resons for this boom were many, but amongst them was a desire to reduce in key labour heartlands - the North, Wales, etc. This was combined by a significant rise in Public Sector remunation, not just salary but more importantly for the longer term pensions. Now we in a recession with a public sector debt which is way too large and there is a realistic possibility that the Government will not be able to fund it through Gilt sales. That leaves taxation. The 50% rate has already seen companies leave the Uk for places like Switzerland. Further increases in general taxation will only increase that flight of capital. The only option left is to trim the size of the Public Sector. Strikes might help in the short term, but all that will do is mean that cuts will happen in a diffrent part. If you have not the money, and you can not borrow it - you can not spend it.
- Jeremy E, Home Counties, 16/06/2009 12:49
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"The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development predicted 30,000 jobs would be axed by councils in the next year alone"
As long as they are not essential staff, I'll be putting my chmpagne in the chiller, ready to celebrate.
Most of these jobs offer no benefit to the taxpayer, if anything they hinder peoples lives.
- P Staker, London, 16/06/2009 11:59
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