Ipsos Issues Index: December 2020

• At the end of 2020, 72 per cent of the British public saw coronavirus as one of the biggest issues facing Britain
• In the days ahead of the announcement of a Brexit deal, six in ten mentioned Brexit as a major issue

The December 2020 Ipsos Issues Index recorded a sharp increase in public concern about Brexit in the final weeks before the announcement of a trade deal. Sixty per cent of the public mentioned Brexit as a major worry, an increase of nineteen percentage points from November. Fieldwork occurred between 11 and 22 December 2020, covering the two weeks just ahead of the Christmas Eve announcement of a trade deal between the EU and UK.

However, Covid-19 remains the largest concern. Three quarters of the public said it was the biggest issue facing Britain, a similar level to the previous six months – although most fieldwork occurred ahead of the cancellation of the planned Christmas relaxation of restrictions on 21 December.

The proportion of Britons who consider the Coronavirus pandemic to be the single biggest issue facing the country dropped to 47 per cent this month. This is the first time since the start of the pandemic that less than half of the public felt Covid-19 to be the biggest worry for Britain.

In the final edition of the Index ahead of the agreement of a Brexit deal, six in ten of the public listed the UK’s relationship with Europe as a concern, which was the highest score since October 2019.

Concern was elevated across different parts of the country and varying demographic groups. The strongest divided was by social grade, with 71% of those in grades AB concerned, compared with 50% of those in D and E. Conservative party supporters, men and those living in the north of England were also more likely than average to mention it as a worry (69%, 65% and 64% respectively).

Mike Clemence, a researcher at Ipsos, said:

In the last days of the negotiations between the UK and EU on their future trade relationship, public concern about Brexit leapt to the highest level we’ve seen for over a year. Despite this the Covid-19 pandemic remains the biggest issue facing the country, with three quarters of the public mentioning it as a worry. As fieldwork finished before the new national lockdowns we are likely to see concern about the pandemic rise further into the new year.

Technical note 

• Since May 2020 the Issues Index has been conducted over the phone; lockdown conditions mean face-to-face fieldwork is currently not an option for public opinion polling. Mode effects should be kept in mind when comparing the new data points with previous months.
• Ipsos's Issues Index is conducted monthly and provides an overview of the key issues concerning the country. Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 1,031 adults aged 18+ across Great Britain. The answers are spontaneous responses, and participants are not prompted with any answers. 
• Ipsos's telephone omnibus was used for this survey. Interviews were conducted between 11 and 22 December across Great Britain. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population.