The majority of the UK population want public services to stay under public ownership, a new poll has revealed.

The research, commissioned by campaign group We Own It, found 82% of people believe that both healthcare and education should mostly be run in the public sector.

More than seven out of ten people (73%) also felt the same about public transport.

Those surveyed said they want their money spent on public services rather than going towards shareholder profits. A third of people polled also said the public ownership of services made them more accountable.

‘This polling once again shows that the overwhelming majority of people support public ownership of our public services,’ said Cat Hobbs, director of We Own It. ‘And it shows us that the public are fed up with being ripped off by private companies siphoning cash to shareholders rather than investing in our services.

’After forty years of ideological marriage to privatisation, it's clear that the public just aren't buying it anymore. People recognise that this is about fairness and it's about morality. It's not a fair system that gives us inadequate, unaccountable services. It's not a fair system that gives us sky-rocketing fares and bills. And it's not a fair system that gives us a cabal of shareholders and CEOs who are creaming off the profits.’