economist / ipsos mori issues index december 2015

DECEMBER 2015 ECONOMIST/IPSOS MORI ISSUES INDEX

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020 7347 3000

2

Issues Facing Britain: December

Base: 1,003 British adults 18+, 27th November – 10th December 2015

What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?

Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index

42%

40%

34%

26%

16%

16%

16%

14%

11%

10%

Defence/foreign affairs/terrorism

Immigration/immigrants

NHS/Hospitals/Healthcare

Economy

Poverty/Inequality

Education/Schools

Housing

Unemployment

Low pay/fair wages

Ageing population/Social care

+29

-9

-1

0

-2

+2

-5

-3

-4

-1

%

Change since Nov:

Position

Top mentions %

-2

+9

-1

-1

-1

+3

-3

+3

-2

3

Issues Facing Britain: December




42%

40%

34%

26%

16%

16%

16%

14%

11%

10%

25%

20%

8%

9%

5%

3%

3%

3%

2%

1%




Economy

Poverty/Inequality

Education/Schools

Housing

Unemployment

Low pay/fair wages


Top mentions %

MOST/OTHER

IMPORTANT ISSUES

MOST IMPORTANT

ISSUE

4

Issues Facing Britain: Long Term Trends

Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home



0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

May1997

May1998

May1999

May2000

May2001

May2002

May2003

May2004

May2005

May2006

May2007

May2008

May2009

May2010

May2011

May2012

May2013

May2014

May2015

NHS UNEMPLOYMENT CRIME/LAW &

ORDER ECONOMY IMMIGRATION*

*Up until September 2014 the code was race relations/immigration/immigrants

HOUSING

5

Cameron becomes PM

Issues Facing Britain:

Economy / Economic situation What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?


0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

May1997

May1998

May1999

May2000

May2001

May2002

May2003

May2004

May2005

May2006

May2007

May2008

May2009

May2010

May2011

May2012

May2013

May2014

May2015

Global Recession

and Russian

Financial crisis

Highest score since 1992;

Most important issue for

the first time

Sub-prime mortgage

crisis in the US

End of

recession

announced


Lowest score

since March 2008

(25%)

Northern Rock

nationalised

6

Cameron becomes PM


Immigration / Immigrants*


* Up until Sept 2014 the code was race relations/immigration/immigrants


0

10

20

30

40

50

60

May1997

May1998

May1999

May2000

May2001

May2002

May2003

May2004

May2005

May2006

May2007

May2008

May2009

May2010

May2011

May2012

May2013

May2014

May2015

Border controls relaxed for “A8” EU

Countries


Border controls

relaxed for

Romanians and

Bulgarians

Highest concern

ever recorded (56%)

7

Cameron becomes PM


Unemployment / Factory closure / Lack of industry What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?

0

10

20

30

40

50

May1997

May1998

May1999

May2000

May2001

May2002

May2003

May2004

May2005

May2006

May2007

May2008

May2009

May2010

May2011

May2012

May2013

May2014

May2015

Unemployment falls below 1 million for first time in 25 years

Minimum wage

introduced

Unemployment in Britain rises to 5.5%

Lowest ever score (5%)

Youth unemployment reaches 1 million

Lowest score since October 2008

(14%)

Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index

8

Cameron becomes PM


Crime / Law & Order / Violence / Vandalism / ASB




0

10

20

30

40

50

60

May1997

May1998

May1999

May2000

May2001

May2002

May2003

May2004

May2005

May2006

May2007

May2008

May2009

May2010

May2011

May2012

May2013

May2014

May2015

May day riots Riots in

England

9/11

9

Cameron becomes PM


NHS / Hospitals / Healthcare What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

May1997

May1998

May1999

May2000

May2001

May2002

May2003

May2004

May2005

May2006

May2007

May2008

May2009

May2010

May2011

May2012

May2013

May2014

May2015

Report says waiting lists have

doubled under Labour

Lowest score since

December 1985 (12%)

Highest score since April 2006

(47%)

Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home

10

Cameron becomes PM


Education / Schools What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?


0

10

20

30

40

50

May1997

May1998

May1999

May2000

May2001

May2002

May2003

May2004

May2005

May2006

May2007

May2008

May2009

May2010

May2011

May2012

May2013

May2014

May2015

Introduction of means-tested tuition

fees. Education most important issue.

First City Academies

introduced

Lowest score since

Dec 1985 (9%)

Labour’s second term - pledge to

improve failing secondary schools

April 2011 – Pupil

Premium introduced


11

Cameron becomes PM


Defence / Foreign Affairs / International terrorism What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?


0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

May1997

May1998

May1999

May2000

May2001

May2002

May2003

May2004

May2005

May2006

May2007

May2008

May2009

May2010

May2011

May2012

May2013

May2014

May2015

9/11 London

Bombs

Invasion of Iraq –

protests across Europe

Failed terror

attacks in London

and Glasgow

UK withdraws

from Iraq

War in

Kosovo

Parliamentary vote

against action in Syria

NATO bombing

in Libya

Rise of

ISIS


Paris attacks and

Parliamentary vote for

action against IS in Syria

12

Cameron becomes PM


Poverty/inequality What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?


0

5

10

15

20

May1998

May1999

May2000

May2001

May2002

May2003

May2004

May2005

May2006

May2007

May2008

May2009

May2010

May2011

May2012

May2013

May2014

May2015

Sept 1999:

Alastair Darling – “one child in

three” living in poverty

July 2014:

highest score

recorded (18%)

January 2005:

Make Poverty History campaign

launched on New Year’s Day


13

Cameron becomes PM


Inflation/Prices What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?


0

5

10

15

20

25

30

May1997

May1998

May1999

May2000

May2001

May2002

May2003

May2004

May2005

May2006

May2007

May2008

May2009

May2010

May2011

May2012

May2013

May2014

May2015

Inflation rate hits 16 year peak

Inflation rises to 3.4%


14

Cameron becomes PM


Housing What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?


0

5

10

15

20

25

30

May1997

May1998

May1999

May2000

May2001

May2002

May2003

May2004

May2005

May2006

May2007

May2008

May2009

May2010

May2011

May2012

May2013

May2014

May2015

A8 Countries

join the EU

House prices

rising at fastest

rate in 10 years

Highest score since

October 1974 (21%)


15

Cameron becomes PM


Pensions/Social Security/Benefits What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?


0

5

10

15

20

25

30

May1997

May1998

May1999

May2000

May2001

May2002

May2003

May2004

May2005

May2006

May2007

May2008

May2009

May2010

May2011

May2012

May2013

May2014

May2015

Equitable Life sells

its non-profit

pension annuities

Blair and Harriet Harman propose

‘affluence testing’ to exclude the well-

off from state benefits

Gordon Brown unveils

pension credits Pensions commission report –

“more than 12 million working

people are not saving enough for

their retirement”

Lowest ever

score (3%)


16

Cameron becomes PM


Pollution / Environment What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?


0

5

10

15

20

May1997

May1998

May1999

May2000

May2001

May2002

May2003

May2004

May2005

May2006

May2007

May2008

May2009

May2010

May2011

May2012

May2013

May2014

May2015

Wettest Autumn since

records began –

widespread flooding

across the UK

EC proposes carbon emission

cuts of 20% by 2020

Flooding in

England


17

Cameron becomes PM


Common Market / Europe / Euro / EU What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?


0

10

20

30

40

May1997

May1998

May1999

May2000

May2001

May2002

May2003

May2004

May2005

May2006

May2007

May2008

May2009

May2010

May2011

May2012

May2013

May2014

May2015

Treaty of Accession: 10 new

EU Member States

France and Holland reject

ratification of EU constitution

Lowest score

recorded (1%)

UKIP come first in Euro

elections


EU Referendum Bill:

Highest score since June

2005 (13%)

18

Cameron becomes PM


Low pay/minimum wages/fair pay What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?


0

5

10

15

20

May1999

May2000

May2001

May2002

May2003

May2004

May2005

May2006

May2007

May2008

May2009

May2010

May2011

May2012

May2013

May2014

May2015


Highest recorded

score (15%)

19

Top issues – concern by party support

Base: 233 Conservative and 287 Labour supporters aged 18+, 27th November – 10th December 2015



50%

55%

40%

29%

9%

18%

17%

9%

3%

13%

41%

32%

38%

26%

19%

19%

13%

20%

17%

7%




Economy

Poverty/Inequality

Education/Schools

Housing

Unemployment

Low pay/fair wages


Top mentions %

CONSERVATIVE

SUPPORTERS

LABOUR

SUPPORTERS

20

Age and social grade – different priorities What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today? Immigration/Defence, Foreign affairs and terrorism/Economy/NHS


30%

37%

41%

45% 45% 42%

34%

25%

51%

43%

48%

42%

31%

18%

34%

23%

31%

18%

30%

22%

39%

35%

42%

31%

ABC1 18-34 C2DE 18-34 ABC1 35-54 C2DE 35-54 ABC1 55+ C2DE 55+

IMMIGRATION

DEFENCE/FOREIGN

AFFAIRS/TERRORISM ECONOMY NHS


21

Concern about defence/foreign affairs/terrorism by

subgroups


N.B. Boxed figures are significantly different to the average

What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today? Defence/foreign affairs/terrorism

Ipsos MORI Issues Index

33%

18-24

27%

25-34

44%

35-44

52%

45-54

53%

55-64

41%

65+

Concern about defence/terrorism/foreign affairs by age:

46%

51%

33%

42%

Concern by

region:

42%

31%

43% 50%

41%

53%

38% 39% 35%

Overall Urban Rural CON LAB AB C1 C2 DE

Social Grade Locale Party support

Concern about defence/terrorism/ foreign affairs by key

demographic groups:

28%

economist / ipsos mori issues index december 2015

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