Can the LDs afford to alienate public sector workers?
How dangerous for Clegg is leading on pensions?
Nick Clegg’s statement about public sector pension is getting good coverage this morning and clearly we are being softened up for some quite drastic measures in the budget.
But how risky for Clegg is it being associated with such a policy given that in the public eye at least he is now being seen as the prime mover?
For there’s a lot of polling data to suggest that public sector workers do have a different view on the world and in this past they have tended to help the Lib Dems.
Usefully YouGov has started putting a “public sector” worker column in its detailed data so we can see if there is a differering voting intention amongst this significant group. The latest data had this finding.
| Do you think this coalition government will be good or bad for people like you? | All | Public sector workers |
|---|---|---|
| Good | 37% | 33% |
| Bad | 33% | 38% |
Voting intention and Clegg’s personal rating had the public sector segment a tad lower.
Whatever Clegg seems to be making the running on this policy – and it might be that he and his party get the kudos for having the bottle to take it on. The trouble is that winners on issues like this tend to forget – the losers remember.