Cornwall’s Priorities and Concerns Ahead of the Budget

As the Chancellor prepared to deliver the Autumn Budget this 26^th November 2025, we asked members of the What Cornwall Thinks panel how much they’ve been following the build-up – and what they expect it will mean for them, their households and for Cornwall as a whole.

More than 100 Cornish residents took part in this snapshot survey, carried out in the days leading up to the Budget announcement. Their responses reveal strong interest, widespread concern, and a clear sense of which issues matter most right now.

Most residents have been paying close attention

A large majority of respondents had already been following Budget news to some extent, with 68% saying they had seen or heard either “a lot” or “a fair amount” of coverage. Just 2% said they had heard nothing at all.

For most people, information has come from mainstream broadcast and online news:

50% cited national TV news,	49% online news sites or apps, and	32% national radio.

Social media also plays a role, with 28% reporting it as a source.

Strong personal interest – and widespread worry

Budget announcements clearly matter to people: 54% describe themselves as very interested and a further 34% as quite interested.

Alongside that interest is a sense of anxiety.

• 77% are either very or quite concerned about how the Budget might affect them or their household.
• Almost seven in ten (68%) believe it will have a major or moderate impact on their personal finances.

This is shaped by current financial circumstances: while 42% say they’re “doing okay”, a combined 37% report they are either just about managing or finding it difficult.

Top priorities: cost of living, taxation and the NHS

When asked which Budget areas matter most, one theme dominates:

46% selected cost of living and household finances as a key concern.

• Taxation (41%),
• NHS and health spending (34%),
• pensions and support for older people (33%)
• and energy bills (32%)

were also among the top issues. Housing and local government funding also featured for some respondents.

Notably, childcare and support for young people were very low priorities in comparison to rising prices and pressures on essential services.

Cornwall-specific impacts: cost of living comes first

Most residents think Cornwall will be affected more than other parts of the UK: half (50%) believe the Budget will have either a much or slightly greater impact on their day-to-day life compared with elsewhere.

Asked where the Budget could have the biggest local impact, responses highlight ongoing economic pressures:

• 37% pointed to cost of living,
• followed by 14% for small businesses and
• 12% for housing and second homes.

Transport and connectivity, rural communities, and job availability all feature – though at smaller levels.

How living in Cornwall changes the impact of the Budget

Residents who felt the Budget would affect their day-to-day life highlighted a consistent set of Cornwall-specific pressures. Many pointed to higher costs across the board — from fuel, energy and water to food, transport and council tax – often made worse by rural distances, poor public transport and the need to drive for everyday services.

A recurring theme was Cornwall’s low-wage, low-income economy, where frozen tax thresholds, rising costs and limited job opportunities are felt more sharply than in better-off regions. Several respondents also raised concerns about second homes, housing shortages, and the area’s reliance on tourism and seasonal work, which they feel leaves the local economy vulnerable to policy changes.

Some emphasised that Cornwall is often overlooked by central government, with underfunded public services, stretched council budgets, and limited local investment. Others felt that a lack of competition – in utilities, retail or transport – makes it harder for households to absorb cost increases.

Overall, the message was clear: because Cornwall combines higher living costs, lower incomes, rural isolation and long-term underinvestment, national Budget decisions can hit the region faster, harder and with fewer safety nets than elsewhere in the UK.

Tax changes: broad expectations of impact

Residents expect tax measures in the Budget to affect them in multiple ways. The most commonly cited areas were:

• Council Tax (68%)
• Changes to tax thresholds (61%)
• Vehicle-related taxes (54%)
• Income tax (53%)
• VAT (52%)
• Fuel duty (50%)

Only 3% believe tax changes won’t affect them at all.

Overall outlook skews negative

Panel members are far more likely to expect a negative outcome than a positive one:

• 75% foresee the Budget affecting them slightly or very negatively.
• Only 1% expect a positive outcome, and 15% predict it will make little difference either way.

Next: what residents want the Budget to address

When asked for the one change they would most like to see in today’s Budget, respondents focused overwhelmingly on reducing the pressure on household finances. Many called for raising the income tax personal allowance – often suggesting thresholds between £15,000 and £20,000 – and for ending the freeze on tax bands, which they feel disproportionately affects low- and middle-income households. Others highlighted the rising cost of everyday essentials, calling for lower taxes on food, fuel, energy, toiletries and children’s clothing, as well as measures to cut energy bills, cap prices or support winter fuel costs.

A substantial number of responses focused on tax fairness, with suggestions including:

• introducing a wealth tax,
• targeting non-doms, offshore havens and large multinational corporations,
• windfall taxes on oil, gas and banking profits, and
• asking the richest households to contribute more, while easing the burden on those “squeezed in the middle.”

 

Several respondents emphasised the need for better funding for public services, especially the NHS, social care, education, transport and local councils. Pensioners and those approaching retirement frequently asked for protection of the triple lock, higher pension incomes, and care with any tax changes affecting older people or those with modest private pensions.

Many small business owners and self-employed respondents wanted the Budget to ease pressure on SMEs, citing rising energy costs, business rates, NICs and regulatory burdens. Some argued for stronger action on landlords of poorly insulated properties, student loan thresholds, or support for EVs.

A smaller group expressed concerns about net zero policy, either calling for slower implementation due to business and energy-cost impacts, or arguing for continued investment in clean energy rather than short-term tax cuts.

Across all perspectives, the underlying message was consistent: Cornwall’s low wages, high living costs and stretched public services mean residents are looking for relief, fairness and long-term investment rather than further financial pressure.

 

Get involved

If you’d like to take part in future surveys and help shape local understanding of what matters most to Cornwall, you can join the What Cornwall Thinks panel here.