Spending on welfare
Analysis of the BSA survey reveals one question, on pride in
the welfare state, in which changes in the balance of public
opinion depend almost exclusively on the relative size of
different generations.
In figure 8 the lines remain flat within generations, with
consistent differences between them in a clear generational
order. The oldest generation is the most likely to believe that
‘the creation of the welfare state is one of Britain’s proudest
achievements’, with Generation Y the least likely to agree, with
a striking distance between the Pre War and Generation Y
cohorts. Over time, therefore, agreement that the welfare state
is one of Britain’s proudest achievements is likely to fall as the
generational make up of the population changes