CONCERNS about Covid-19 have now “virtually vanished” , according to a leading pollster.
Ben Page, the global chief executive of IPSOS, said all recent studies his organisation have conducted illustrate that fears about the impact of the virus have evaporated.
Mr Page told GB News the number one issue was now inflation and the cost of living crisis.
Speaking to Eamonn Holmes and Isbael Webster on GB News Breakfast, Mr Page said: “Concern about Covid 19 has virtually vanished in the UK. It’s all about inflation, the economy and how the Government is going to help people.
“Inflation and prices are now the number one issue which concerns voters and the public. The issue is that our finances are not in good shape due to the Covid-19 crisis. But, again and again, we are seeing evidence that the public wants to see more action and more spending. However this seems to go against the grain of some of the things Liz Truss said she stands for.
Mr Page predicted that Ms Truss will be forced to u-turn on her vow not to sanction widespread handouts.
“She’s probably going to be forced to do it when she switches her attention from the small number of people within the Conservatiove party, who are choosing her to be leader, to the electorate as a whole,” he said.
“She’s talking about a £30bn cut to VAT. But the issue is that this doesn’t impact the price of food and that is a big part of the inflation problem. It may in itself just not be enough to help the people who really need support. A quarter of the population is going to be seriously affected this Winter.”
Mr Page’s comments come amid reports today (MONDAY) that Ms Truss is considering a “nuclear” option that could see VAT cut from 20% to 15%, according to reports.
It has emerged that Ms Truss “will consider options to help people, but it would not be right for her to announce her plans before she has been elected prime minister or seen all the facts”.
Estimates suggest such a VAT cut would save the average household more than £1,300 a year, while the Institute for Fiscal Studies said it would cost taxpayers £3.2bn a month, or £38bn for a year.
Rishi Sunak’s team criticised the plan as expensive and “incredibly regressive”.
