Attitudes to Regional Government in Cornwall
This report presents the findings of a telephone survey conducted by MORI Social Research Institute on behalf of Cornwall County Council. The research was conducted in order to gauge awareness, knowledge and opinions towards regional government in Cornwall.
MORI’s telephone survey of Cornwall County Council residents was undertaken some three to four weeks before the Government’s 3rd March 2003 deadline for submissions on whether or not there is support for a referendum on elected regional governance. MORI is also undertaking research in four other regions – East of England, East Midlands, North West and South East – as well as nationally. These further findings provide an important context to attitudes in Cornwall.
Awareness
Awareness of regional governance, although higher than in some other regions recently surveyed by MORI, is low in Cornwall:
- Two-thirds (65%) say they know little or nothing at all about suggestions that there should be elected regional assemblies for each English region. One in three (35%) claim to know about these suggestions; just 4% say they know a great deal.
- Less than two in five (37%) can correctly identify the South West as the region in which they live; half (49%) do not claim to know.
Given people’s low understanding, opinions may, however, change as people become more informed about the issues.
