Politics

Half (51%) of Britons now say they feel worse off since Labour was elected – but confidence in any of the main parties’ economic plans is low.

The Autumn Budget is next week – and the run up has been anything but smooth. Here’s what you need to know ahead of the announcement.

The Ipsos Economic Optimism Index has dipped back to -67, one point away from the record low of -68 seen in April of this year.

50% of Britons say they want radical change – but while 23% trust Reform UK to deliver necessary change, 34% worry that they would deliver undesirable reforms.

The proportion of those opposing the strikes has grown to 45% (up from 31% in June 2024), while support has declined from 52% to 28%.

Reform UK maintain clear lead as Labour vote share falls to match the lowest ever recorded by Ipsos for the party in May 2009, after the expenses scandal and during the economic crisis (Ipsos first started recording vote intentions in 1976).

A new Ipsos KnowledgePanel survey offers an in-depth analysis of democratic perceptions in 9 Western countries, highlighting dissatisfaction with democracy and deep worries about its future.

Given the choice, people would prefer to have been born in 1975 rather than 2025 by a margin of almost two to one.

87% of Britons believe crime and anti-social behaviour is a "big problem" in the UK as a whole – up from 79% in June. This falls to 40% when people speak of their local area.