Are these ComRes questions leading?
Will the findings tell us much about public opinion?
According to the the Indy on Sunday’s John Rentoul there’s a new ComRes poll tonight which as well as the standard voting intention question asks whether people agree or disagree with the following:-
“The Coalition Government understands the interests of the wealthy better than the interests of ordinary people”
“It is fair that students should pay more for their university education even though their parents’ generation didn’t”
“Welfare benefit cuts will hit hardest the poorest, elderly and most vulnerable in society”
“The top rate of income tax at 50p in the pound on earnings over £150,000 a year should be raised to 60p in the pound”
“The loss of hundreds of thousands of public sector jobs is a price worth paying to reduce the deficit”
“I expect that the public spending cuts to be announced next week will be fair”
I loathe this form of polling because it is very difficult to construct questions in a form which is not leading – i.e. it suggests to the respondent in some way how they should respond.
No doubt the findings will get lots of coverage.