Business media split over Government's performance

Last November we asked the country’s top business and financial journalists about their expectations for the country’s future, and how they felt the current Government had been performing.

The overriding message from results is one of uncertainty and division. At an overall level, satisfaction with the coalition Government is polarised with 42% of journalists satisfied with performance, but 37% dissatisfied, with the way the country is being run.

Outlook for the country’s future prospects are also a mixed bag. In particular journalists are divided about prospects for young people, and for public transport, with relatively similar proportions expecting things to improve over the next few years. The outlook for the quality of education and environment is more pessimistic, with more journalists expecting things to get worse than get better. However, areas where journalists are more agreed are around prospects for the NHS, where around two-thirds expect things to get worse over the next few years, and skills in Britain’s workplace, where the majority expect things to stay the same.

Against this divided evaluation of the Government’s performance, and reflecting the continuing fragmentation within British politics, journalists feel that the most likely outcome for the upcoming election is a hung parliament of some kind.

However, there are more positive messages around the economic outlook. Over half of journalists expect the economy to improve throughout 2015, and almost two-thirds feel that the current Government’s policies will improve the economy in the long-term. Although it should be noted that these positive economic messages have a degree of equivocation, with journalists split about the current low interest base rate, and the potential impact on homeowners should rates go up. 

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