Ipsos Issues Index: November 2020

• Seventy-four per cent of the British public see coronavirus as one of the biggest issues facing Britain, the same level as in October
• One in three mention economic worries, up from three in ten last month

The November 2020 Ipsos Issues Index shows the level of public concern about Coronavirus is unmoved since last month and has been at broadly the same level since June. Three quarters of Britons mentioned it as a major issue for Britain (74%), the same level as in October. Fieldwork was between 22 and 28 November, towards the end of the second national lockdown in England.

Brexit remains the second-most important issue, although the proportion of the public concerned about it has fallen by ten percentage points since September (41%, down from 51%). The proportion worried about the economy – the third-largest concern this month – has risen from 30% in October to 35%.

Supporters of the two main UK political parties share the same priorities – coronavirus is the biggest issue for both, followed by Brexit and the economy. However, Labour party supporters are slightly less likely than Conservatives to mention each of these three issues. 

Instead they are more likely than Conservative supporters to mention a range of issues which score lower in the national ranking. This is most pronounced on the NHS (20% versus 11%), pollution and climate change (14% against 6%) and poverty/inequality (15% compared with 6%).

Mike Clemence, Associate Director at Ipsos, said:

As we head towards the end of the year, the public remain highly concerned about Coronavirus – but what is interesting is that the level of worry we’ve recorded in November, a month marked by a second wave of infections, is the same as it was in the comparatively relaxed atmosphere of June.

This tallies with other recent studies showing the public remain strongly supportive of coronavirus restrictions. It suggests that public concern will continue to remain high, even as the coronavirus vaccine starts to be rolled out in December

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 1,004 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 20 and 27 November across Great Britain. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population.