# FILE NAME: 00002028.soc
# TITLE: Does Britain have a debt problem? [738245339a55eaf21c8ecbbeb39155be]
# DESCRIPTION: 
# DATA TYPE: soc
# MODIFICATION TYPE: original
# RELATES TO: 
# RELATED FILES: 
# PUBLICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# MODIFICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# NUMBER ALTERNATIVES: 4
# NUMBER VOTERS: 5
# NUMBER UNIQUE ORDERS: 3
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 1: Statement 1 - Britain does have a debt problem but it is not insurmountable. Britain has faced major problems before and if it can borrow and invest wisely, the debt problem can be managed and will reduce over time. The problem is that Britain does not have a high GDP and also does not have a high saving rate, which can lead to major inflationary problems. This is bad news for the economy. If the economy is bad, this means people have a lower standard of living and spend less, which is then bad for the government because they get less tax and this can lead to even more debt. The answer is to get the economy moving, grow the GDP, and find ways of spending more efficiently. The consensus view was that this is a huge challenge for the government but one that can be achieved. The government needs to look for long-term solutions to the debt problem. It is not easy but it is possible.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 2: Statement 2 - Britain does have a debt problem and it is significant. The problem is exacerbated by Covid-19 and Brexit. Due to the debt and unwillingness to borrow more money people are facing inflation, recession and are unable to obtain a pay rise that is in line with inflation. This is leading to a poor standard of living for many people.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 3: Statement 3 - “Britain does have a debt problem. The debt is in the billions, we lost our AAA rating and are struggling to deal with inflation and recession. This has led to a significant cost of living crisis, people can’t afford to live and they have been promised pay rises in line with inflation, these have not materialised due to the high levels of debt. The UK government need to come up with a plan to address this debt and to help people cope with inflation and recession. We are going through difficult times but we need to deal with this debt, and come up with a plan to manage it and to keep it from growing further. The debt needs to be dealt with now, before it spirals out of control.”
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 4: Statement 4 - “The UK has a debt problem that is a significant issue for the country. The UK is still funding Brexit and the war in Ukraine and the migrant crisis. The debt is growing and the UK is now unable to borrow money cheaply. The UK has lost its AAA rating and the debt is now unsustainable. The UK is also in the middle of a cost of living crisis. This is leading to a poor standard of living for many people. This is due to the debt and the unwillingness to borrow more money. The government is unable to help people in crisis and provide pay rises in line with inflation. The debt is a serious problem for the UK.”
2: 1,3,4,2
2: 4,3,2,1
1: 3,4,1,2