Half believe Christmas coronavirus measures not strict enough

• Seven in ten looking forward to Christmas – fewer than in previous years
• Minority are stressed about Christmas / worried about the cost

Ipsos’s latest Political Monitor poll reveals that half (49%) of Britons believe that the new coronavirus rules over Christmas are not strict enough while two in five (39%) think they are about right. Just 10% think that they are too strict. Two percent say they don’t know.

Not all view the measures in the same light, however. For example, more than half (56%) of Labour Party supporters say the rules are not strict enough compared with 41% per cent of Conservative supporters. Meanwhile, a majority of those aged 55 and over (54%) say the measures are not strict enough.

The new poll also shows:

• Seven in ten (70%) Britons are looking forward to Christmas, which is fewer than 2014 and 2000 when 81% were looking forward to the holiday. More than a quarter (27%) say they are not looking forward to Christmas (up from 17% in both 2014 and 2000).
• Three in ten (31%) Britons are worried about how much Christmas will cost (66% are not worried). These are similar levels to 2014 when 32% were worried and 66% were not. In fact, fewer are worried now compared to the year 2000 when 40% were worried and 58% were not.
• A minority of Britons are stressed about Christmas preparations (21%) but 77% are not. This is comparable to 2014 when 20% said they were stressed and 79% were not. 

Ipsos Research Director Keiran Pedley said of the findings:

The overwhelming majority of Britons are looking forward to Christmas, but they are split on whether the relaxed rules are strict enough. Some are nervous, with a majority of those aged 55 and over telling us they think the relaxed rules are not strict enough and a third of this age group not looking forward to Christmas more generally.

Technical note

Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 1,027 adults aged 18+ across Great Britain. Interviews were conducted by telephone 4th – 10th December, 2020 Data are weighted to the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.