London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 07, 2026

UK Voters Divided on Tax Pledges and National Service

A recent YouGov poll reveals that UK voters are split on Labour and Conservative pledges not to raise the three main taxes, and mostly oppose the Conservative plan for national service. Fifty-two percent of people reject the idea of a year of military service or monthly volunteering for 18-year-olds, while 39% support it. Both Labour and Conservative commitments to not raise income tax, national insurance, or VAT are supported by 46% of respondents, with 30% opposed.
A recent YouGov poll reveals that UK voters are split on Labour and Conservative pledges not to raise the three main taxes, and mostly oppose the Conservative plan for national service.

The survey shows 52% of people reject the idea of a year of military service or monthly volunteering for 18-year-olds, while 39% support it.

Meanwhile, the Tory proposal to discontinue university degrees with poor outcomes is supported by only 49% of voters.

The Conservative pension pledge to exempt a higher amount of pension income from taxes has 73% backing.

Labour’s policy of imposing VAT on private school fees is supported by 61%, and its plan for a publicly owned renewable energy provider is backed by 74%.

However, Keir Starmer’s idea to lower the voting age to 16 is unpopular, with 59% opposed.

Both Labour and Conservative commitments to not raise income tax, national insurance, or VAT are supported by 46% of respondents, with 30% opposed.

Liberal Democrat policies, such as awarding blue flag status to rivers and reducing sewage discharge, earned 87% approval, and free school meals for primary school pupils received 74% support.

The survey included responses from over 2,000 adults.

Recent Conservative strategies, like the national service announcement, aimed to attract Reform UK supporters but have not significantly shifted Reform's voter base.

The Conservatives are trailing Labour by about 20 points nationally, with party leader Rishi Sunak’s campaign struggling.

Both parties are set to release their manifestos, with possible surprises from the Conservatives as they attempt to regain momentum.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Sign Mutual-Defence Pact
Weight-Loss Drug Boom Tests the Limits of Prescription Advertising Rules
UK Prosecutors Add 38 Charges Against Andrew and Tristan Tate
UK Clears Paramount’s Warner Bros. Discovery Deal, but US Trial Looms
Taiwan’s President Joins Wartime Command Drill as China Pressure Grows
HMRC’s 2029 Tax Shift Could Overlap Old and New Self-Assessment Bills
Thetford Disorder Prompts Expanded Police Powers Amid Asylum-Housing Protests
Cambridge Faces Calls for Independent Review of Jason Arday Appointment
Scotland’s ‘Cock of the North’ Woodland Is Being Felled After Wind Damage
Reform UK and Greens Unite Against Vast Solar Plans for Kent Marshland
New Zealand Draws Wealthy Americans With Revamped Investor Visa
Senate Panel Votes to Hold Anthony Fauci in Contempt After Fifth Amendment Testimony
Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Resigns as University Opens Inquiry Into His Credentials
Manchester Power Failure Disrupts Trains Across North West Into Friday
UK Fashion and Tourism Sectors Prepare for Strong Summer and Autumn Activity
London Residents Seek Appeal Against Approval for Chinese Super-Embassy Development
UK Environment Officials Issue Biosecurity Alert Over Rising Bluetongue Cases in Livestock
UK Charity Regulator Opens Investigations Into Donations Linked to Israeli Settlements
Gatwick Expansion and Chinese Embassy Plans Highlight Growing UK Infrastructure Disputes
UK Agriculture Authorities Warn of Rising Bluetongue Virus Cases Among Sheep Farms
UK Watchdog Finds Electronic Monitoring Failures Leaving Some Offenders Without Timely Alerts
Metropolitan Police Investigate Covent Garden Knife Attack That Injured Four Men
UK Government Confirms Severe Terror Threat Level as Prevent Programme Expands
Diageo Plans Guinness Expansion While Cutting Jobs Through Global Restructuring Programme
Bank of England Keeps UK Borrowing Costs Stable While Markets Await Future Rate Cuts
Gatwick Airport Wins Approval for Second Runway Expansion After Legal Challenges Fail
Apple Challenges UK Government Over Demand for Access to Encrypted iCloud Data
London Approves First Autonomous Taxi Licences for Wayve and Uber Passenger Trials
UK Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Finds Advanced AI Models Showing Deceptive Behaviour in Security Tests
UK Small Boat Channel Crossings Fall Forty-Three Percent as Government Highlights France Cooperation
UK Government Plans Procurement Reforms to Boost British Jobs and Domestic Steel Supply Chains
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at Three Point Seven Percent as Inflation Stays Above Target
EY Raises UK 2026 Growth Forecast to Zero Point Nine Percent as Energy Risks Remain a Concern
UK Artificial Intelligence Regulation and Public Infrastructure Investment Remain Key Policy Focus Areas
Kemi Badenoch Faces Criticism Over Appointment of Former Neo-Nazi Linked Figure to Advisory Role
AG Barr Reports £10 Million Sales Loss After Supply Chain and Planning Failures
UK Government Fast-Tracks Specialist Care Pathways for Motor Neurone Disease Patients
UK Government Connects More Than 60,000 Rural Homes and Businesses to Gigabit Broadband
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Forecast After Strong Summer Sales
Metropolitan Police Arrest Woman After Four Men Stabbed in Central London’s Covent Garden Area
UK Procurement Reform and Infrastructure Spending Signal New Focus on Regional Economic Growth
UK Government Expands Global Talent Visa Access for International Researchers and Innovators
NHS Launches £343 Million Expansion of Community Mental Health Centres Across England
UK Treasury Explores Higher Borrowing Capacity for Infrastructure and Housing Investment
UK Cabinet Office Reforms Procurement Rules to Direct £90 Billion of Public Spending Toward Jobs and Skills
UK Government Considers Public Inquiry Into Jeffrey Epstein’s Activities and Possible Institutional Failures
Britain’s AI Safety Institute Finds Advanced Models Creating Fake Identities and Malicious Code During Tests
Lightning Strike Kills Yala FC Player During Match in Southern Thailand
Senate Scrutinises AI-Driven Personalised Pricing
Spain Seeks Mainland Transfers for 1,100 Children Stranded in Ceuta
×