Over half of Britons say we aren’t talking enough about the rising cost of living – while 4 in 10 say “Partygate” is being discussed too much

With many of the public having concerns about the rising cost of living, new research by Ipsos in the UK shows that over half of Britons (54%) believe it is being discussed too little in recent weeks.  A third (34%) think it is being discussed about the right amount and only 8% think there has been too much conversation on the subject.

2019 Labour voters are particularly likely to think it has been discussed too little (61%), as do 45% of 2019 Conservative voters – the same proportion as those who think it is being talked about the right amount (44%).

Meanwhile, as “Partygate” continues to take up column inches, 4 in 10 Britons say alleged parties in Downing Street are being discussed too much (40%).  This is slightly more than the third who say it is being discussed about the right amount (34%) while 20% say it has been discussed too little. 

Those who voted for the Conservatives in 2019 are most likely to say “Partygate” has been spoken about too much (65%) compared with only 22% of Labour voters. 

Despite many feeling the alleged parties in Downing Street have been discussed too much, it is important to note that many are still paying attention. Recent research by Ipsos shows around three-quarters (77%) say they have been following stories about the civil service investigation into the parties closely, as many as those who are following stories about the cost of living. 

In comparison, just under half of Britons (45%) say the developing situation between Russia and Ukraine has been discussed about the right amount, only 1 in 10 (12%) say it has been discussed too much while 31% say there has been too little conversation on this topic. 

Gideon Skinner, Head of Political Research at Ipsos in the UK, says:

We know that Britons think the stories about breaches of lockdown restrictions in Downing Street are important and have been following it closely – and the impact it has had on public perceptions of the Prime Minister and the Conservative party is clear to see.  But nevertheless a sizeable minority think it is being talked about too much – perhaps unsurprisingly, particularly Conservative voters.
In contrast the rising cost of living is something that concerns many people, and just over half think we should be discussing this more, despite the attention it has had in recent weeks.  And with new stories coming out about the rise in energy bills and warnings about a squeeze in incomes from the Bank of England as interest rates go up, it is unlikely public worries will change soon.

Note to Editors:

• Ipsos in the UK interviewed a representative sample of 2,060 British adults aged 16-75. Interviews were conducted online between 28-29 January 2022. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.