Public support for devolution wanes post-Brexit
A new poll from Ipsos North reveals that there has been a significant decrease in the number of British people who support the devolution of power from central Government to local councils, falling from 49% in 2015 to 40% in 2016. There has also been a slight rise in the number of people in the UK opposing devolution, from 16% to 20%.
Levels of support for devolution are higher in the North of England compared with other regions, with 44% of those residing in the region declaring support for the principle (compared with 38% in the Midlands and 34% in London). Of all the English regions, it is the North West which is most positive, with nearly half of the public (49%) in support. This is perhaps unsurprising given the continued progress Manchester is making in getting the government to devolve additional powers, including most recently health and social care, to the city.
When asked about the new Government’s commitment to devolution, feelings are mixed. There is an almost equal split between those who agree that the Government is committed (21%) and those who disagree (20%). The largest minority (36%) are those sitting on the fence, ambivalent about whether the Government is committed to this transferral of power from Whitehall.
The principle of devolution appeals more to Labour voters than Conservatives. Around half (49%) of Labour voters support the principle, compared with only 37% of Conservative voters. In fact, despite the transfer of powers to the regions having been a flagship policy of the last Conservative Chancellor George Osborne, Tory voters are significantly more likely to oppose the principle – three in ten (29%) of Tory voters oppose devolution, compared with 15% of Labour voters.
People are also becoming slightly more pessimistic about whether Northern Powerhouse ambitions will be realised, with the number of people feeling pessimistic rising from 32% in 2015 to 37% in 2016. However, the number of people feeling optimistic about fulfilling these aspirations hasn’t changed significantly, with only a 1% drop from 23% to 22%. It is the undecided amongst us who have become more sceptical over the last year.
Our 2015 data shows that 52% of people care more about the quality of the services they receive than who delivers them.
Technical note
- Ipsos surveyed a representative sample of 1,888 adults aged 16-75 across England (including 536 in the North). Surveys were conducted online between 23rd and 27th September 2016. Data is weighted to match the profile of the population.
- The data is compared to previous polling undertaken in September 2015. On this occasion Ipsos surveyed a representative sample of 3,831 adults aged 16-75 across England (including 1,058 in the North). Surveys were conducted online between 18th September and 29th September 2015. Data was weighted to match the profile of the population.
