New polling data, conducted 15-22nd October 2026, shows Labour taking a 8-point lead over their nearest rival. This time that is the Conservatives rather than Reform UK.
The Environment and Rural Affairs Department of the Scottish Executive commissioned a module of questions in the April / May 2006 wave of Ipsos's Scottish Social Policy Monitor to inform policy in relation to the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003. This provided representative results on the public's understanding and views of the water environment in terms of: the personal, social and economic importance of the water environment; the use of the water environment for leisure and recreation; perceptions of the quality of the water environment and priorities for improvements; understanding of the threats to the quality of the water environment; and the future of the water environment.
Ipsos's October Political Monitor shows that Labour retains a small voting intentions lead over the Conservatives among the 56% of the electorate who say they are absolutely certain to vote. Tony Blair has also seen a rise in the proportion of the public satisfied with his performance as Prime Minister, up from 26% in early September to 32% now, though a majority of the public remain dissatisfied (60%) with him. The proportion of the public satisfied with David Cameron as Conservative party leader stands at 31%, exactly the same as first measured by Ipsos in January of this year. However the proportion dissatisfied with Cameron has almost doubled over this time, from 17% to 32%. More than a third (37%) say they don't know if they are satisfied or dissatisfied with Cameron.
Research conducted by Ipsos for the Young Foundation shows that the British public believe political parties have an important role to play in democracy. Half the public (49%) say that political parties in Britain enable the people to have a voice; and a similar number also disagree that Britain would be better off if political parties did not exist and all politicians were independent. At the same time, fewer than a quarter believe that parties are open and transparent, and the most popular approaches to making parties more appealing would be for them to involve people more in local decision making and for them to listen more to the public.
The British public are increasingly sceptical of the Government's ability to improve public services, according to the latest Ipsos Government Delivery Index - our regular 'health check' on government performance and public expectations. This scepticism is particularly apparent with the NHS, for which public expectations have reached a record low.
According to the latest Ipsos Government Delivery Index, two in five British adults (40%) think that the Government's policies will improve the state of Britain's economy in the long-term, although slightly more (46%) disagree, giving a net optimism score of -6. This is slightly higher than the net score of -13 in May 2006.
The public's detailed image of the Prime Minister has deteriorated significantly in the last 18 months, analysis of data from the Ipsos Political Monitor shows; but while Gordon Brown's image is better, it shares many of the most negative characteristics of Mr Blair's. The poll, conducted at the start of September (before the recent public falling out over the Prime Minister's retirement date) finds that Mr Brown, like Mr Blair, is primarily seen as out of touch, though the public also admit that he has sound judgment, a description they are reluctant to apply to Tony Blair, and many more people describe him as inflexible, tending to talk down to people and narrow minded than have the same impression of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat leaders.
