Can Labour deliver? Public services face inequality crisis

New research from Ipsos UK reveals a make-or-break moment for public services in the UK. While Labour rode to victory in part because of their promise to improve struggling public services, a challenging economic climate and shifting public opinion are creating significant challenges for the government. The latest edition of Ipsos’ annual ‘Understanding Society’ report “Putting the Place into Public Services” utilises 8 MRP (Multilevel Regression and Poststratification) models to understand public perceptions of key services in every local authority area across the UK, including health services, policing, public transport, and education, as well as housing, jobs, and overall quality of life and community cohesion. Our analysis highlights the tightrope the government must navigate to deliver at a time when it is promising radical reform. While all public services face their own unique challenges, some common themes emerge across the board that offer clear ideas for the government’s strategic focus.

View the full findings and interactive MRP maps here

Key findings include: 

• A pessimistic outlook: Public satisfaction with services remains low. 75% believe they have got worse over the past 5 years, and hopes for immediate improvements are not high, with only three in ten (28%) believing they will see improvements to public services within the next 2-3 years. Moreover, other Ipsos research shows patience is waning. For example, after a honeymoon period, 42% now blame the Labour government for the state of the economy, up 18ppts since August 2024, the month after they came to power. In this context, the government must deliver tangible improvements quickly.
• Geographic inequality persists: We find significant variations in satisfaction levels across the country for areas like  job opportunities, public transport and quality of life. This risks further exacerbating feelings of unfairness and inequality: 43% of the UK public believe the government spends less on their areas than others, especially in Northern Ireland, Wales, and the North of England.
• Deprivation deepens the divide: Deprivation is a key driver of dissatisfaction across many of the areas we explore, with the most deprived areas consistently reporting the lowest satisfaction across various services. This is further compounded by personal characteristics like age, housing tenure, and education, creating a significant barrier to achieving equality of opportunity. For instance, residents of highly deprived areas without a degree report a low quality of life (-20% net satisfaction), which drops further for renters (-28%). Conversely, a high income substantially boosts quality of life for those in affluent areas (reaching a net satisfaction of +71%).
• Perception vs. reality: While public satisfaction often reflects actual service performance, media narratives and personal experiences also play a role. For instance, the NHS, despite being a public priority, suffers from low satisfaction nationwide. Affordable housing stands out even more starkly as facing an acute crisis of public dissatisfaction across the UK – especially so not just in major cities like London, but also the South West, which is likely to reflect the real but different local dynamics in those places.
• The need for local solutions, backed by national vision: Place-based solutions tailored to specific local challenges are crucial, but they must align with clear national priorities. The government’s mission-based approach needs to be adopted not just centrally, but also regionally and locally to address the unique, interwoven challenges of each area.

Commenting on the findings, Trinh Tu, UK Managing Director of Public Affairs at Ipsos, said:

Our latest state of the nation research highlights the significant challenge facing the Labour government in delivering on its promise to improve public services while simultaneously promising radical reforms. Public patience is wearing thin due to the perceived lack of progress in improving public services. This dissatisfaction is most acute in the UK's most deprived areas, highlighting the stark geographical inequality that continues to beset the nation. The government must move beyond promises and deliver tangible improvements within this electoral cycle. This is especially important because our data also shows that perceptions of progress in public services do not always align with actual service delivery. A myriad of factors can influence public opinion, making it crucial for the government to understand the reality of service provision at a local level. To achieve this, they need to understand both national priorities and the unique, local challenges faced by different communities. This means working closely with local partners who have a real stake to ensure resources are directed effectively and interventions are tailored to specific local needs.

Technical note: 

• For the full findings, please visit the Understanding Societies microsite.  
• Ipsos interviewed 20,835 adults aged 16+ living in the UK, including oversamples in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Data collection took place between 19-25 September 2024. Data was weighted by gender, age, region, education, ethnicity, Index of Multiple Deprivation quintile, and number of adults in the household, to reflect the profile of the UK population.
• Local authority estimates were produced using MRP (multi-level regression and poststratification). As any modelling technique, it is subject to a range of potential sources of errors and estimates should be interpreted with caution. 
• For more information on the methodology, please visit the technical notes.