Health 'should be top priority' says survey

Health should be the top priority for government, a survey has suggested - according to the BBC.

A poll of nearly 2,400 people carried out by YouGov for the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) found that health was ranked above law and order, defence, education and the environment.

A third of those questioned said they wanted to see funding maintained at current levels, while 59% said they wanted it to be increased.

Many said they feared services would be cut if this did not happen.

In total, 37% said health should be the most important spending priority, 23% law and order, 20% education, 10% environment and 2% defence.

When asked in more detail about their healthcare priorities, almost half of those surveyed ranked hospitals above other areas, such as reducing waiting times, more health services in the community, care for the elderly and public health.

So when voters see that their MP, rather than investing limited public funds in their top spending priorities, has in fact approved a 60% increase in funds - billions more pounds a year - for the audit-failing EU, that's unlikely to go down very well at all.

MPs planning to vote in favour of the EU budget deal - particularly those in marginal seats - would surely do well to bear this in mind.