Best Party On Key Issues: Unemployment

Public Sector

Q I am going to read out a list of problems facing Britain today. I would like you to tell me whether you think the Conservative party, the Labour party or the Liberal Democrats has the best policies on each problem.

 

Q I am going to read out a list of problems facing Britain today. I would like you to tell me whether you think the Conservative party, the Labour party or the Liberal Democrats has the best policies on each problem. Base: c. 1,000-2,000 GB adults aged 18+

Base: All mentioning issue as important

  Con Lab Lib Dem None / Don't know Lab Lead
  % % % % %
"Unemployment"
21-24 July 1995 8 59 4 29 +51
22-25 March 1996 11 57 6 24 +46
23-28 July 1996 10 55 4 30 +45
21-24 February 1997 15 54 5 25 +39
8 April 1997 12 50 5 32 +38
21-24 May 1998 10 52 7 30 +42
23-26 July 1999 12 50 7 30 +38
20-25 January 2000 7 57 2 33 +50
20-24 July 2000 9 47 6 37 +38
15-20 February 2001 14 43 3 37 +29
11-16 September 2003 12 36 7 45 +24
10-14 September 2004 10 36 11 39 +26
17-21 February 2005 12 41 6 39 +29
7-11 April 2005 13 44 4 37 +31
31 August - 6 September 2006 13 28 7 49 +15
20-26 September 2007 20 26 7 44 +6

 

Base: All

  Con Lab Lib Dem† None / Don't know Lab Lead
  % % % % %
"Unemployment"
25-26 October 1977** 31 34 3 31 +3
12-13 April 1978 32 31 3 32 -1
14 August 1978** 36 29 3 32 -7
30 January - 1 February 1979 39 24 3 34 -15
2 April 1979** 37 29 5 28 -8
4-6 April 1979 37 28 3 33 -9
17-19 April 1979 40 34 2 24 -6
24-26 April 1979 40 36 2 21 -4
4-6 May 1979 42 36 3 19 -6
21-25 February 1980 24 40 4 31 +16
10-17 April 1980 25 43 4 29 +18
27 November-1 December 1981 19 27 18 35 +8
August 1982 22 32 10 36 +10
November 1982 21 20 22 38 -1
21-25 April 1983 20 40 13 27 +20
May 1983 29 37 8 26 +8
17-18 May 1983 23 38 14 25 +15
24-25 May 1983 26 35 18 21 +9
1-3 June 1983 27 31 19 21 +4
28 October 1985 16 38 16 30 +22
3-4 November 1986 19 46 10 25 +27
12-14 May 1987 27 35 16 22 +8
20-21 May 1987 28 34 17 21 +6
27-28 May 1987 33 34 19 15 +1
3-4 June 1987 30 35 20 15 +5
September 1987 33 34 7 26 +1
March 1988 34 34 6 26 0
22-25 February 1991 22 43 5 30 +21
24-28 May 1991 19 37 8 35 +18
19-22 July 1991 22 38 8 32 +16
20-24 September 1991 20 42 11 26 +22
18-21 October 1991 20 40 6 34 +20
17-21 January 1992 23 39 8 30 +16
21-25 February 1992 23 39 8 29 +16
11-12 March 1992 18 46 8 27 +28
16 March 1992 20 46 7 26 +26
23 March 1992 19 43 9 27 +24
30 March 1992 20 46 10 23 +26
15-20 September 1993 11 43 11 35 +32
19-23 May 1994 12 51 11 25 +38
21-24 July 1995 12 50 4 35 +46
18 October 1995 13 58 5 23 +35
22-25 March 1996 15 48 5 30 +31
23-28 July 1996 14 46 4 36 +31
21-24 February 1997 21 45 4 28 +21
8 April 1997 18 42 5 34 +30
21-24 May 1998 11 48 6 34 +35
23-26 July 1999 13 46 7 33 +39
20-25 January 2000 2 52 5 35 +46
20-24 July 2000 10 48 5 37 +38
15-20 February 2001 12 48 2 37 +33
21-26 February 2002 12 45 5 37 +24
11-16 September 2003 13 36 6 44 +18
10-14 September 2004 12 31 7 47 +17
7-11 April 2005 13 40 5 40 +27
31 August - 6 September 2006 15 29 6 47 +14
20-26 September 2007 13 34 5 47 +21
25-27 September 2009  22 27 11 36 +5
19-22 March 2010  24 30 10 33 +6
15-17 September 2012 22 35  5  34  +13 

† Liberal to 1980, Liberal-SDP Alliance 1981-8 **"None" was not recorded as a separate option in this survey

2013 onwards

Base: All

  Con Lab Lib Dem UKIP  Other  None  Don't know  Lab Lead
  % % % %  %  % %  %
"Unemployment"
7-9 September 2013 26 30 5 2  5  11 21  +4
 8-12 March 2014 27 32 5 2 6 9 19 +5
 6-9 September 2014  29 30 4 3 6 7 21 +1
 12-15 April 2015 32 30 5 4 6 6 17 -2
Oct 2020 22 40 4 - 6 9 18 +18
October 2022 23 38 3 - 5 8 22 +15
February 2023 19 34 3 - 5 7 30 +15

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