Issues Index

The economy again tops Ipsos's monthly Issues Index, with just under three fifths of British adults (58%) saying it is one of the most important issues facing Britain, an increase of 3 points from last month.

The economy has once again risen to the top of Ipsos's Issues Index in September 2008, with over half of British adults (55%) saying it is one of the most important issues facing Britain, an increase of 14 points from last month. This is the highest score we have ever recorded for this issue (our trends date back to 1974). In addition, concern about unemployment is at the highest it has been since November 2001: it is at 11%, an increase of four points from last month.

Crime has risen to the top of Ipsos's Issues Index in August 2008, with almost half of British adults saying it is one of the most important issues facing Britain (47%). This is an increase of eight percentage points since July.

The economy is the now most important issue facing Britain today, according to July's Ipsos Issues Index, with four in ten people thinking it is important (42%).

Ipsos's recent survey for Schott's Almanac, conducted by telephone among 1,049 British adults age 16 and over between 18-20 July, explores a range of issues around the public's fears, uncertainties and doubts about the future.

Ipsos's latest Issues Index shows that public concern about inflation and prices is the highest recorded by Ipsos since the early 1990s.

Q What would you say is the most important issue facing Britain today?
Q What do you see as other important issues facing Britain today?
(Unprompted - combined answers)

More than four in five patients are confident in their doctor, but this confidence is directly correlated with the doctor's ability to provide adequate information, according to surveys commissioned by the General Medical Council (GMC) from MORI and NOP World.

The majority of British people think that Space should be a neutral place with no military uses and believe the US is more interested in the military potential of space than putting a person on Mars, according to new research conducted by MORI. It also shows support for the missions such as Beagle 2 and finding life on other planets.