Political Attitudes in Great Britain for February 2001

Public Sector

Q1 How would you vote if there were a General Election tomorrow? [If undecided or refused at Q1] Q2 Which party are you most inclined to support? Base: 1,900

 
  • MORI interviewed a representative quota sample of 1,900 adults aged 18+ at 189 sampling points across Great Britain
  • Interviews were conducted face-to-face between 15-20 February 2001
  • Data are weighted to match the profile of the population
  • Results are based on all respondents unless otherwise stated
  • An '*' indicates a finding of less than 0.5%, but greater than zero
  • Poll conducted by MORI on behalf of The Times

Q1 How would you vote if there were a General Election tomorrow? [If undecided or refused at Q1] Q2 Which party are you most inclined to support? Base: 1,900

Conservative 30%
Labour 50%
Liberal Democrats 14%
Scottish/Welsh Nationalist 3%
Green Party 1%
Democratic/UKIP/Referendum Party 1%
Other 1%
Would not vote 14%
Undecided 10%
Refused 1%

Q3 Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way the Government is running the country? Q4 Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way Mr Blair is doing his job as Prime Minister? Q5 Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way Mr Hague is doing his job as leader of the Conservative Party? Q6 Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way Mr Kennedy is doing his job as leader of the Liberal Democrats? Base: 989

  Satisfied Dissatisfied Don't know Index
  % % % ±
Government 39 49 12 -10
Blair 48 43 9 +5
Hague 25 56 19 -31
Kennedy 35 19 46 +16

Q7 What would you say is the most important issue facing Britain today? Q8 What do you see as other important issues facing Britain today? [Random] Base: 989

  Q7 Q7/Q8
  % %
National Health Service/Hospitals 21 48
Education/schools 10 37
Crime/law & order/violence/vandalism 10 25
Common Market/EU/Europe/Single European Currency 14 23
Race relations/immigration/immigrants 8 18
Unemployment/factory closure/lack of industry 6 12
Economy/economic situation 6 11
Pensions/welfare security 2 11
Transport/public transport 2 9
Petrol prices/fuel 2 8
Housing 2 7
Taxation 1 7
Poverty/inequality 2 6
Defence/foreign affairs 1 5
Drug abuse 1 5
Pollution/environment 1 5
Morality/individual behaviour 1 3
Low pay/minimum wage/fair wages * 3
Inflation/prices * 2
Local government/council tax 1 1
AIDS 0 1
Privatisation 0 1
Beef/BSE/Mad Cow Disease * 1
Countryside/rural life * 1
GM/GM (Genetically Modified) foods * 1
Northern Ireland * 1
Nuclear weapons/nuclear war/disarmament * 1
Pound/exchange rate/value of pound * 1
Scottish/Welsh Assembly/Devolution Constitutional reform * 1
Trade unions/strikes 0 0
Animal welfare * *
Other 3 10
Don't know 5 4

Q9 Do you think that the general economic condition of the country will improve, stay the same, or get worse over the next 12 months? Base: 989

Improve 23%
Stay the same 46%
Get worse 25%
Don't know 6%
MORI Economic Optimism Index (EOI) -2%

Q10 Looking ahead to the next General Election, which, if any of these issues do you think will be very important to you in helping you decide which party to vote for? Base: 989

  %
Animal welfare 10
Constitution/devolution 5
Defence 13
Education 52
Europe 29
Health care 65
Housing 16
Law and order 47
Managing the economy 27
Northern Ireland 7
Pensions 28
Protecting the natural environment 18
Public transport 27
Taxation 31
Trade Unions 3
Unemployment 25
Other 3
Don't know 6

Q11-26 I am going to read out a list of problems facing Britain today and for each one, I would like you to tell me whether you think that the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrat or some other party has the best policy on each. Base: 989

  Con Lab Lib Dem Other None Don't know
  % % % % % %
Animal Welfare 7 22 8 8 11 44
Constitution and devolution 18 26 6 3 8 40
Defence 26 25 4 1 8 36
Education 17 44 8 1 7 23
Europe 26 27 5 2 9 31
Healthcare 14 42 7 1 11 24
Housing 10 34 4 2 11 39
Law and order 26 30 5 1 11 27
Managing the economy 18 44 3 1 9 25
Northern Ireland 10 35 2 1 15 37
Pensions 16 32 6 1 12 33
Protecting the natural environment 7 21 14 11 12 34
Public transport 10 31 6 3 18 32
Taxation 21 34 8 1 10 26
Trade unions 11 40 2 1 9 36
Unemployment 12 48 2 1 11 26

I am going to read out a list of problems facing Britain today and for each one, I would like you to tell me whether you think that the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrat or some other party has the best policy on each. Base: All who think each is important

:
    Con Lab Lib Dem Other None Don't know
  % % % % % %
(100) Animal Welfare 9 36 10 13 12 20
(49) Constitution and devolution * 37 30 13 6 8 6
(120) Defence 44 25 2 2 4 23
(517) Education 16 46 9 1 6 22
(264) Europe 35 33 8 3 5 15
(654) Healthcare 13 44 8 1 10 23
(172) Housing 10 38 7 2 12 32
(476) Law and order 32 32 4 1 10 21
(264) Managing the economy 25 50 5 1 5 14
(67) Northern Ireland * 11 60 0 3 11 16
(305) Pensions 15 39 6 2 14 24
(182) Protecting the natural environment 9 19 19 16 13 24
(259) Public transport 16 28 9 4 18 25
(290) Taxation 30 28 9 1 7 25
(26) Trade unions * 2 81 0 10 1 3
(274) Unemployment 14 43 3 2 13 24

[NB. Small Base]

Q27 Can you tell me how likely you are to get along to vote at the next Election? Base: 989

  %
Certain to vote 50
Very likely to vote 17
Quite likely to vote 11
Not very likely to vote 7
Certain not to vote 12
Don't know 3

Q28 Which party did you vote for at the last General Election, in May 1997? If you are not sure, or did not vote, please say so. Base: 989

Conservative 18%
Labour 42%
Liberal Democrats 11%
Scottish/Welsh Nationalist 2%
Referendum Party 1%
Green Party *%
Other 1%
Did not vote 19%
Too young 4%
Can't remember 1%
Refused 2%

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