Tories have best health and education policies, say voters

The public has become so disillusioned with the government's ability to deliver improvements in key public services that the Conservatives are now seen as having the best policies for education and health for the first time since Labour won power in 1997, according to polling by Ipsos MORI. The research company's quarterly tracking index, which is eagerly watched by the government, shows the public disagrees by two to one (59 per cent compared with 31 per cent) that Labour's policies will improve the state of public services overall.

Scepticism about the state of the National Health Service is rocketing.

Sixteen months ago, just after the general election, far more people believed the NHS would get better over the next few years than believed that it would get worse.

This month, after a battery of headlines about NHS deficits, job cuts, and the potential closures and changes at scores of hospitals, half the country believes the service will get worse over the next few years. A mere one in six, 18 per cent, believes it will get better - in spite of the billions of pounds that are still being poured into health spending.

It is by far the worst finding for labour since the tracking index was launched in 2002.

Most remarkably, despite the fact that the party yet has little formal policy in place, the Conservatives are now seen to have the best policies for health and education by those voters who see such issues as "very important" in how they will vote - the first time that has happened since Labour took power in 1997.

"Labour's standing on public services is not quite in free fall," Sir Robert Worcester, founder of MORI said. "But the public is clearly disenchanted with Labour's ability to improve public services after nine years in office. Its figures are down and continuing to fall."

The finding that the Conservatives were ahead, even if only marginally, on two traditionally strong Labour areas - health and education - pointed to an "anyone but Labour" effect, Sir Robert said.

Health looks to be the most serious area for Labour, rated as the second most important issue likely to shape people's votes at the next general election.

Among those who describe health as an important issue for their vote, 25 per cent now believe the Conservatives to have the best policy, against 21 per cent for Labour - a 9 per cent swing since the last election. On education, the lead is a mere 2 percentage points, 28 to 26, but still an 8.5 per cent swing since the past election.

Back in 1997 the Labour party had a 38 percentage point lead on health and 23 percentage points on education.

Labour is still seen by a wide margin as the best party on the economy, unemployment and public transport, although it lags behind in traditional Conservative areas such as crime and asylum, and now, marginally in health and education.

The Ipsos MORI Delivery Index was conducted between September 8 and September 10 among 957 adults aged over 18 by telephone. Data were weighted to reflect the electorate. Ipsos MORI abides by the rules of the British Polling Council.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0212cc12-46b2-11db-ac52-0000779e2340.html

Coming only days after Health Direct helped publicise Labour's targeting NHS cutbacks and closures away from Labour voting constituencies Labour targets NHS hospital cuts away from marginal constituencies 15 Sep 06- it is remarkable that even without any discernable health policies the Conservatives are seen as better than 9 years of Labour’s NHS incompetence.