Which is most to blame for the cuts? (YouGov)	CON-LD coalition	Last Labour government	Both of them	Neither
21/02/11	25	41	24	5
07/02/11	25	38	26	6
25/01/11	26	40	24	5
10/01/11	22	40	25	8
11/12/10	23	41	24	7
15/11/10	22	43	23	7
07/10/10	17	47	20	10
20/09/10	21	44	22	7
06/09/10	22	45	20	6
31/08/10	23	45	20	6
16/08/10	22	45	21	6
02/08/10	22	45	20	6
19/07/10	21	48	19	7
05/07/10	21	44	21	8
23/06/10	18	49	18	9

Does the polling show that it’s still resonating?

One of the regular polling trackers that I regard as important is the above one from YouGov on which is most to blame for the cuts – the CON-LD coalition or the last Labour government. The latest data is just out and looks like set back for the red team.

For following a period when the party was seeing a slow but steady improvement things have come to a halt – and once again more than 40% blame Labour for the cuts.

Only at the weekend Alistair Campbell was saying that time was running out for the its ‘all Labour’s fault’ mantra.

He wrote: “..It is normally a rule of communication that a line that has early acceptance, and is then repeated endlessly, is likely to become a permanent part of the political backdrop. But the Tory line on the economy, whilst it may have met with the early acceptance, is now facing more resistance.

That will be increased by the fact that Osborne continues to blame Labour decisions for the current economic problems, notably inflation. In seeking to exempt the VAT rise from any impact on inflation, for example, I’m afraid he is moving into the ‘treat people like idiots’ category. People aren’t idiots. It is why as ‘it’s all Labour’s fault’ and ‘there is no alternative to the cuts’ continues to come over the airwaves, acceptance has turned to jeers which will turn to anger as the cuts bite and the tax rises squeeze.”

My view is that the new shadow chancellor is on one of the reasons for Labour’s difficulty. Things were steadily improving until the former close Brown aide took on the job of opposing Osborne. Of all the figures on the opposition from bench he is the one most associated with Brown and his presence could be making it easier for the coalition to continue with their rhetoric.

UPDATE: It’s been noted on the thread that the option of the banks was not put. That’s true but looking backing through YouGov’s archives I’ve discovered this from the Sunday Times poll for January 13th 2011.

On January 13th YouGov substituted “banks” for “neither” in the question and came out with on who is to blame:-

Coalition 21%
Labour Government 39&
Banks 31%

So it made almost no difference to those blaming Labour.

Mike Smithson