Most people think the government is being dishonest about the way it will fund a £20bn cash boost for the NHS, according to a Sky Data poll.

Just over half of those surveyed thought the promise was either "very dishonest" (26%) or "fairly dishonest" (28%).

Only 7% said it was "very honest", while 25% said it was "fairly honest". Some 15% responded "don't know".

Prime Minister Theresa May has claimed a "Brexit dividend" will be one of the ways the UK will pay for flushing more money into the NHS over the next seven years.

Tax rises and "economic growth" will also contribute, she said in a speech at the Royal Free Hospital on Monday.


But the Sky Data poll found 47% of people do not think there will be "Brexit dividend", compared to 34% who did. Some 19% responded "don't know".

Despite the concerns, most people either "strongly support" (25%) or "tend to support" (29%) increasing taxes on people like themselves to pay for the NHS funding boost.

Meanwhile, some 24% said they "strongly oppose" and 15% said they "tend to oppose" the move.

Mrs May has delayed announcing details about the tax hike until the autumn.

"We will listen to views about how we do this and the chancellor will set out the detail in due course," she said.

Labour has criticised the government for offering the NHS a 3.4% funding increase, which it says is not enough to "save" the health service.

MP Peter Kyle, speaking on behalf of the pro-EU Open Britain campaign, also told Sky News: "Theresa May is trying to pull a fast one by claiming the NHS funding boost will come from an imaginary 'Brexit dividend', but the British public aren't buying it."

Sky Data interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1,070 Sky customers by SMS on 18 June 2018. Data are weighted to the profile of the population.

For full Sky Data tables, please click here.