This document summarizes the findings of the January 2014 Ipsos MORI Issues Index survey on the most important issues facing Britain. The top three issues according to the survey are race relations/immigration (41%), the economy (41%), and unemployment (32%). The survey shows changes in the percentages of respondents citing each issue compared to the previous month. It also provides long-term trends on the salience of key issues such as the economy, immigration, and the NHS over the past 15+ years. The document analyzes public concern on various economic, social and political issues facing Britain.
1. Ipsos MORI Issues Index
January 2014
Contacts: Gideon.Skinner@ipsos.com
Jerry.Latter@ipsos.com
020 7347 3000
2. Issues Facing Britain: January
2
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
Change since Dec:
% Position
Top mentions %
Race relations/Immigration
41
+4
Economy
41
+2
32
Unemployment
27
NHS
+1
+3
+5
Poverty/Inequality
16
+2
Crime/Law and order
16
+1
Pensions/benefits
16
+6
+4
+2
Inflation/Prices
15
-2
-3
Education/Schools
15
+3
-2
-2
Housing
Base: 952 British adults 18+, 10th – 19th January 2014
11
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
3. Issues Facing Britain: Long Term Trends
3
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
70
Economy
60
50
Unemployment
Race / immigration
40
30
20
NHS
10
Crime/
Law & Order
0
May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
4. Issues Facing Britain:
Economy / Economic situation
4
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
Cameron becomes
PM
70
Bank
bailout
60
Highest score since 1992.
Most important issue for the
first time
50
40
30
20
Global Recession and
Russian Financial
crisis
End of
recession
announced
Lowest score since
the start of the
recession (39%)
Northern Rock
nationalised
10
Sub-prime
mortgage crisis in
the US
0
May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
5. Issues Facing Britain:
Race Relations / Immigration / Immigrants
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
50
Sangatte detention
centre constantly in the
news throughout 2002
Foreign
prisoners
furore
5
Cameron becomes
PM
600,000 EU migrants
settled since 2004
41% - highest score since
April 2008 and joint top issue
40
“Go home or face arrest”
adverts used in some
London Boroughs
9/11
30
Race riots in
Burnley, Oldham,
and Bradford
20
Anthony Walker
murdered in
Liverpool
10
0
May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
6. Issues Facing Britain:
Unemployment / Factory closure / Lack of industry
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
Cameron becomes
PM
50
Youth unemployment
reaches 1 million
40
Minimum wage
introduced
30
20
10
0
Unemployment in
Britain rises to
5.5%
‘New Deal’
launched, providing
training, subsidised
employment, and
voluntary work
to the unemployed
Lowest ever score
Unemployment falls
below 1 million for first
time in 25 years
May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
6
7. Issues Facing Britain:
Crime / Law & Order / Violence / Vandalism / ASB
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
Cameron becomes
PM
60
Rhys Jones and
Garry Newlove
murdered
Foreign prisoners scandal –
Charles Clarke is sacked
50
Blair activates civil contingencies
machinery to deal with spiralling street
crime
7
Tory election pledge of
40,000 more police
40
Riots
May day riots
30
Prison
overcrowding
reaches record
levels
20
Fuel
Protests
10
9/11
0
May
1997
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
May
2006
May
2007
May
2008
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
8. Issues Facing Britain:
NHS / Hospitals / Healthcare
8
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
80
Cameron becomes
PM
Blair – “We have underfunded the NHS
for years and we are paying the price for
it” – BBC NHS day
70
60
General Election – “Battle
of Margaret’s shoulder”
50
Hewitt heckled at UNISON
conference – fears over NHS
job cuts
40
30
20
Blair tells doctors “not enough”
has been done for the NHS –
allocates extra £20 billion. Report
says waiting lists have doubled
under Labour
Alan Milburn promises 35,000 more
nurses, 40 new hospitals and
development of foundation trusts as part
of NHS plan
10
Lowest score
since
December 1985
0
May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
9. Issues Facing Britain:
Education / Schools
9
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
Cameron becomes
PM
50
Introduction of
means-tested tuition
fees. Education most
important issue.
40
Labour’s second term - pledge to
improve failing secondary schools
City academies introduced to
combat entrenched failure in
some urban schools
Education and Inspections Bill
limits the power of LAs to
open new schools
30
20
April 2011 – Pupil Premium
introduced
Fuel
Protests
London
Bombs
10
Lowest score
since Dec 1985
0
May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
10. Issues Facing Britain:
Defence / Foreign Affairs / International terrorism
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
70
War in
Iraq
60
London
Bombs
Failed terror
attacks in
London and
Glasgow
9/11
50
40
Cameron becomes
PM
Parliamentary
vote on action in
Syria
War in
Kosovo
UK
withdraws
from Iraq
30
20
10
0
General Election - extra £400
million allocated for defence
budget
May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
10
11. Issues Facing Britain:
Poverty/inequality
11
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
Cameron becomes
PM
20
November 2013 –
highest score
recorded (16%)
Sept 1999: Alastair
Darling – “one
child in three”
living in poverty
15
January 2005 –
Make Poverty
History campaign
launched on New
Year’s Day
10
5
0
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
May
2006
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
May
2007
May
2008
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
12. Issues Facing Britain:
Inflation/Prices
12
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
Cameron becomes
PM
30
Inflation rate
hits 16 year
peak
25
Inflation rises to
3.4%
20
15
10
5
0
May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
13. Issues Facing Britain:
Housing
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
13
Cameron becomes
PM
20
House price
peak
15
2005 Election – Blair promises
to make families £800 better off
and help first time buyers
Highest score
since August
2008 (14%)
House prices rising
at fastest rate in 10
years
A8 Countries join
the EU
10
5
9/11
0
May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
14. Issues Facing Britain:
Pensions/Benefits/Social security
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
30
25
Blair and Harriet Harman propose
‘affluence testing’ to exclude the
well-off from state benefits
14
Cameron becomes
PM
Pensions commission report –
“more than 12 million working
people are not saving enough
for their retirement”
Brown unveils
pension credits
20
Lords vote to increase
compensation for those whose
company pension schemes have
collapsed
15
10
Lowest ever
score (3%)
5
0
May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
15. Issues Facing Britain:
Pollution / Environment
15
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
Cameron becomes
PM
20
Cameron’s “Vote
Blue, go Green”
campaign at 2006
local elections
Wettest Autumn since records began –
widespread flooding across the UK
15
EC proposes carbon
emission cuts of 20%
by 2020
Stern
report
Buncefield Oil Depot fire – toxic cloud
reaches northern Spain
10
5
0
May
1997
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
May
2006
May
2007
May
2008
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
16. Issues Facing Britain:
Common Market / Europe / Euro / EU
16
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
40
Amsterdam Treaty signed –
increases
EU remit
Cameron becomes
PM
G8 commitment to
globalisation in
Cologne
30
Treaty of accession
– 10 new member
states
UK starts 6 month
EU Presidency,
France and Holland
reject ratification of
constitution
20
10
Lowest score
since 1988
9/11
0
May
1997
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
May
2006
May
2007
May
2008
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
17. Mind the gap – the gap closes
17
% concern about the economy
52
52
52
Gap between percentages:
49
49
50
51
45
43
30
26
23
18
15
15
44
17
5
13
8
38
34
35
41
40
39
2
5
0
41
37
36
35
Oct
2013
Nov
2013
34
32
31
29
26
22
% concern about immigration
Jan
2013
Feb
2013
Mar
2013
Apr
2013
May
2013
Jun
2013
Jul
2013
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
Aug
2013
Sep
2013
Dec
2013
Jan
2014
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
18. Rising concern about inequality and our personal
financial situation
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
18
Cameron becomes
PM
30
Poverty/inequality
Low pay/fair wages
Prices/Inflation
20
10
0
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
May
2006
May
2007
May
2008
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
19. Difference in concern about race/immigration by
subgroups
19
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today? – Race relations/immigration
60%
Selected sub-group concern
with race relations/immigration:
0%
50%
38%
30%
26%
30%
60%
54%
45%
AB
29%
39%
C1
41%
39%
C2
DE
50%
39%
0%
Urban
18-34
Women
dwellers year olds
Base: 952 British adults 18+, 10th – 19th January 2014
National
average
Men
Suburbanites
Aged
55+
Concern about race
relations/immigration by
Social Grade
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index