Attitudes to Regional Government
Research study conducted for The Economist between 5-8 March and published 26 March 1999 MORI interviewed a representative quota sample of 2,147 respondents aged 15+ at 158 sampling points across Great Britain.
Technical details
MORI interviewed a representative quota sample of 2,147 respondents aged 15+ at 158 sampling points across Great Britain. Interviews were conducted face-to-face on 5-8 March 1999. Base: All respondents, unless stated. All figures are in percentages. Where percentages do not sum to 100, this may be due to multiple responses, the exclusion of don't knows or computer rounding. Data were weighted to match the profile of the population. An asterisk (*) denotes a figure between zero and 0.5%.
Q1 As you may know, there will be elections to a Scottish Parliament and a Welsh Assembly next May. Do you support or oppose giving greater powers of government to regions in England?
| GB | England | Scotland | Wales | |
| All | (1,845) | (212) | (125) | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Support | 47 | 50 | 28 | 36 |
| Oppose | 30 | 27 | 49 | 39 |
| Don't know | 23 | 23 | 23 | 25 |
| Net Support | +17 | +23 | -19 | -3 |
English Region
| NE | NW Mer | Yorks Humb | E. Mids | W. Mids | Eastn | SE | Lon | SW | |
| (232) | (243) | (205) | (143) | (194) | (194) | (203) | (219) | (177) | |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Support | 51 | 55 | 52 | 49 | 49 | 48 | 48 | 47 | 53 |
| Oppose | 23 | 29 | 23 | 17 | 27 | 34 | 34 | 25 | 26 |
| Don't know | 26 | 17 | 25 | 35 | 24 | 18 | 19 | 28 | 22 |
| Net Support | +28 | +26 | +29 | +32 | +22 | +14 | +14 | +22 | +27 |
Ask Q2-4 Only In England
Q2 England is divided into several regions for the purposes of administration of government services. Can you tell me which region you think you are in? - Base: All in England (1,810)
| All | NE | NW Mer | Yorks Humb | E. Mids | W. Mids | Eastn | SE | Lon | SW | |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Correct | 78 | 89 | 97 | 66 | 79 | 91 | 52 | 88 | 60 | 86 |
| Incorrect | 18 | 10 | 3 | 26 | 16 | 8 | 46 | 5 | 34 | 11 |
| Don't know | 4 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 3 |
Q3 Would you support or oppose your region of England, the ... . region, getting its own elected assembly?
| All | NE | NW Mer | Yorks Humb | E. Mids | W. Mids | Eastn | SE | Lon | SW | |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Support | 45 | 51 | 42 | 42 | 40 | 46 | 43 | 37 | 60 | 47 |
| Oppose | 38 | 29 | 44 | 42 | 35 | 37 | 42 | 47 | 21 | 39 |
| Don't know | 17 | 20 | 14 | 16 | 24 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 13 |
| Net Support | +7 | +22 | -2 | 0 | +5 | +9 | +1 | -10 | +39 | +8 |
Q4 I would now like you to think about the possibility of a regional assembly in this region, the ... region. I am going to read out a list of statements, and I would like you to tell me whether you agree or disagree with each.
Base: All in England (1,810)
a) A regional assembly would look after the interests of this area better than central government.
| All | NE | NW Mer | Yorks Humb | E. Mids | W. Mids | Eastn | SE | Lon | SW | |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Agree | 65 | 71 | 69 | 70 | 57 | 65 | 60 | 60 | 68 | 72 |
| Disagree | 22 | 20 | 22 | 19 | 20 | 24 | 29 | 29 | 17 | 17 |
| Don't know | 12 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 16 | 12 |
| Net Agree | +43 | +51 | +57 | +51 | +37 | +41 | +31 | +31 | +51 | +55 |
b) Politicians elected to a regional assembly would be more trustworthy than politicians elected to Parliament at Westminster.
| All | NE | NW Mer | Yorks Humb | E. Mids | W. Mids | Eastn | SE | Lon | SW | |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Agree | 34 | 40 | 28 | 37 | 28 | 41 | 28 | 29 | 38 | 44 |
| Disagree | 46 | 41 | 51 | 43 | 36 | 43 | 54 | 58 | 37 | 39 |
| Don't know | 20 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 36 | 17 | 18 | 13 | 25 | 17 |
| Net Agree | -12 | -1 | -23 | -6 | -8 | -2 | -26 | -29 | +1 | +5 |
c) A regional assembly would lead to more bureaucracy than the present system of government in this region.
| All | NE | NW Mer | Yorks Humb | E. Mids | W. Mids | Eastn | SE | Lon | SW | |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Agree | 54 | 54 | 58 | 60 | 52 | 56 | 56 | 51 | 47 | 50 |
| Disagree | 23 | 18 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 22 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 22 |
| Don't know | 24 | 28 | 19 | 21 | 30 | 22 | 20 | 23 | 26 | 28 |
| Net Agree | +31 | +36 | +36 | +41 | +33 | +34 | +33 | +26 | +20 | +28 |
d) This region is too divided for regional government to work well.
| All | NE | NW Mer | Yorks Humb | E. Mids | W. Mids | Eastn | SE | Lon | SW | |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Agree | 38 | 36 | 44 | 46 | 30 | 44 | 40 | 33 | 33 | 37 |
| Disagree | 41 | 47 | 40 | 36 | 33 | 36 | 40 | 45 | 44 | 44 |
| Don't know | 21 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 37 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 19 |
| Net Agree | -3 | -11 | +4 | +10 | -3 | +8 | 0 | -12 | -11 | -7 |
