Labour lost election because voters turned against big state

Labour lost the general election because voters felt that the party had allowed the state to grow too big, a new poll has found.
Gordon Browns decision to pour funds into the public sector in recent years, while ruling out cuts in front line services, was a particular turn-off for voters, according to the opinion poll by the left-leaning think tank Demos. Government spending reached or even breached acceptable limits, the survey found, with a number of voters who turned against Labour saying that they no longer viewed the state as a force for good. Demos is now calling on the candidates for the Labour leadership to support the Coalition Governments drive to cut public spending. The think tank also wants the contenders to embrace David Camerons vision of a Big Society in which citizens take over some of the functions of the state. The poll, by YouGov compared views among voters who supported Labour in 2005 but deserted it in 2010, with those who remained with the party through both elections. It found that more than half of the deserters felt that the main priority of the NHS should be to seek greater efficiency and end top down control, compared to less than a third of those who voted Labour in May. A third of Labour voters said that the main priority was to avoid cuts compared to just over one in 10 deserters. More than a quarter of lost Labour voters, 27 per cent, agreed that they saw government as part of the problem not the solution, compared with 14 per cent of those the party retained. Well over half, 54 per cent, who stuck by Labour at the last election, considered government to be a force for good improving their lives and those of their family. Only one in three voters who left Labour agreed. Deserters were also more likely to say that people should have more control over their public services and to agree that central government interfered too much. Richard Darlington, spokesman for Demos, said: This poll will be a wake up call for Labours leadership candidates. Labours next leader needs to support public sector cuts and embrace the Big Society agenda if they are to be heard by the public. This post-election poll shows that Labours defence of services against spending cuts was falling on deaf ears. While Labour has consistently argued that spending cuts should not go too far or too fast, this poll shows that a significant number of voters recognise the need for cuts. That includes many people who had recently voted Labour, many of whom felt that Labour was spending too much, too wastefully, with too little benefit for them and their families. The YouGov poll for Demos sampled 92,000 adults between May 5 and May 21, 2010.

1. Find synonyms for the five prepositional expressions in italics in the text Homework: 2. Explain the reference to the Coalition Government in the article. 3. What is a think tank? What role do think tanks play in politics? 4. What is a poll? What purpose do polls serve? 5. Sum up the article, using your own words, 150 words maximum (1/3 of the text)

Tick the right box. 1 What is the correct past perfect form of "I do the laundry"? I have done the laundry. I did the laundry. I had did the laundry. I had done the laundry. 2 What is the correct past perfect form of "She makes some delicious cookies"? She had made some delicious cookies. She has made some delicious cookies. She made some delicious cookies. She had make some delicious cookies. 3 What is the correct past perfect form of "We visit Paris"? We'd visit Paris. We'd visiting Paris. We'd visited Paris. We've visited Paris. 4 What is the correct past perfect form of "We can rent a car"? We had rented a car. We had been able to rent a car. We could rent a car. We 'd rent a car. 5 What is the correct past perfect form of "It is hot."? It was hot. It had hot. It had be hot. It had been hot.

In this exercise, you will practise forming the past perfect. Based on the example sentence, complete the past perfect sentence by filling in the spaces: First, I washed the car. Then, I drove to the mall. --> "After I had washed the car, I drove to the mall." 1. First, we ate at the cafeteria. Then, we went to class. After we at the cafeteria, we to class.

2. First, John made himself a sandwich. Then, he poured some tea. After John himself a sandwich, he some tea.

3. First, Jim plugged in the headphones. Then, he played a CD. Before he a CD, Jim in the headphones.

4. First, Stella fed the cat. Then, she called her mother. Stella her mother after she the cat.

5. First, Marie did her homework. Then, she watched TV. Marie her homework before she TV.

Mark the correct answer.

1. My car ________ on the freeway. broke down broke up broke through 2. The thief managed to ________ the police barricade. break through break in break on 3. My girlfriend and I ________ last month. broke through broke in broke up

4. Hey, ________ the girl with the red hair. She's very pretty. check out check in check at

5. ________! Things will get better. Cheer on Cheer at Cheer up 6. The police are trying to ________ on drunk drivers. crack up crack down crack through 7. He is so funny! He really cracks me ________. up around on 8. I though the movie was going to end, but it just ________. dragged in dragged on dragged into 9. I'm really tired because I ________ at 5 AM this morning. got around got up got on 10. Friends can help you to ________ a difficult time in your life. get around get by get through