MORI interviewed a representative interlocking quota sample of 1,070 adults aged 18+. Interviews were conducted face-to-face in 53 constituency sampling points across Great Britain on 25-26 October 1977. The poll was conducted for the Daily Express.
Q Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way the government is running the country?
Q Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way Mr Callaghan is doing his job as Prime Minister?
Q Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way Mrs Thatcher is doing her job as Leader of the Opposition?
Q Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way Mr Steel is doing his job as Leader of the Liberal Party?
| |
Government |
Callaghan |
Thatcher |
Steel |
|---|
| |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|---|
| Satisfied
|
35 |
53 |
43 |
31 |
| Dissatisfied
|
54 |
37 |
40 |
40 |
| Don't know |
10 |
10 |
16 |
30 |
Q How would you vote if there were a General Election tomorrow?
(If undecided or refused at previous question)
Q Which party are you most inclined to support?
Base: All expressing a voting intention
| |
% |
|---|
| Conservative |
45 |
| Labour |
44 |
| Liberal
|
7 |
| Other |
4 |
Q What would you say is the most important issue facing Britain today?
Q And what other issues do you think are particularly important in Britain today?
| |
Single most
important |
Most plus other
important |
|---|
| |
% |
% |
|---|
| Prices/cost of living/inflation |
35 |
64 |
| Unemployment |
25 |
50 |
| Trade Unions/industrial disputes/strikes |
10 |
30 |
| Violence/bombings/terrorism |
4 |
18 |
| Immigration/race relations |
5 |
16 |
| Schools/education |
2 |
12 |
| National Health Service |
1 |
10 |
| Housing/rates/rents |
2 |
9 |
| Pensions |
1 |
7 |
| Northern Ireland |
1 |
7 |
| Nationalisation/public ownership |
* |
5 |
| Devolution |
* |
2 |
| Public transport |
0 |
* |
| Other |
8 |
22 |
| Don't know |
4 |
3 |
Q I am going to read out a list of issues facing people in Britain today. From this card, would you please tell me which political party you think has the best policies on each one.
| |
|
Conservative |
Labour |
Liberal |
National
Front |
Nationalist |
Don't know |
|---|
| Education |
% |
50 |
26 |
2
|
* |
*
|
21 |
| Law and Order |
% |
40 |
24 |
2
|
1 |
*
|
33 |
| The Common Market |
% |
35 |
27 |
3
|
1 |
1
|
33 |
| Immigration |
% |
34 |
20 |
4
|
5 |
1 |
38 |
| Unemployment |
% |
31 |
34 |
3
|
* |
1 |
31 |
| Strikes/industrial relations |
% |
30 |
39 |
3
|
1 |
* |
27 |
| Inflation/prices |
% |
30 |
42 |
3 |
* |
* |
25 |
| Welfare/social security |
% |
31 |
41 |
3 |
* |
* |
24 |
Q I am going to read out a list of statements which some people have made about a variety of things concerning people in Britain today. Please would you tell me, in each case, whether on balance you agree or disagree with each one?
| |
|
Agree |
Disagree |
Don't
know |
|---|
| More should be done to prevent racial tension in this country |
% |
81 |
13 |
6 |
| There should be harsher penalties to combat violence and vandalism |
% |
97 |
2 |
1 |
| It is important to our children's future that we stay in the Common Market |
% |
46 |
35 |
19 |
| The cost of living has been brought under control |
% |
24 |
70 |
6 |
| The trade union "closed shop" is bad for industrial relations |
% |
62 |
20 |
18 |
| Unemployment is the single most important problem facing Britain today |
% |
66 |
31 |
3 |
| Secondary schools should all be comprehensive |
% |
29 |
57 |
13 |
| Fee-paying schools should be abolished |
% |
24 |
67 |
9 |
| There aren't enough jobs for all the people who want them today |
% |
77 |
19 |
4 |
| There is a serious shortage of policemen in the area where I live |
% |
55 |
26 |
19 |
| Policemen should have the right to strike |
% |
56 |
36 |
9 |
| The police should use whatever force is necessary to maintain law and order |
% |
74 |
22 |
4 |
| The House of Lords should be abolished |
% |
27 |
54 |
19 |
Q If for any reason the government has to increase taxes, would you prefer increased tax on your income or an increase in the level of VAT on the things you buy?
| |
% |
|---|
| Increase on income tax |
64 |
| Increase VAT |
21 |
| Other answer |
6 |
| Don't know
|
9 |
Q In some jobs, people have to join a union as a condition of their employment. Do you think this is a good thing or a bad thing?
| |
% |
|---|
| Good thing |
27 |
| Bad thing |
63 |
| Don't know |
10 |
Q (To all saying "bad thing" at previous question) Do you think it would be a good idea or a bad idea to pass a law saying that people should not have to join a union as a condition of their employment?
| |
% |
|---|
| Good idea |
55 |
| Bad idea |
5 |
| Don't know |
3 |
| Not asked question (Said "good thing" or "don't know" at Q12) |
37 |
Q Some people have said that the next round of pay increases should be limited to 10%. Do you think this ...?
(a) ...would be good or bad for you personally?
(b) ...would be good or bad for the country as a whole?
| |
You personally |
Country
as a whole |
|---|
| |
% |
% |
|---|
| Good |
35 |
75 |
| Bad |
29 |
13 |
| No difference |
31 |
4 |
| Don't know |
5 |
8 |
Q Now for each of the groups I am going to read out I would like you to tell me whether you feel they deserve a pay rise of more than 10% or not.
| |
|
More |
Not
more |
Don't
know |
|---|
| Teachers |
%
|
33
|
58
|
9
|
| Doctors |
% |
55 |
39 |
6 |
| Police |
%
|
85
|
13
|
2
|
| Miners |
%
|
24
|
72
|
4
|
| Bank staff |
%
|
19
|
77
|
14
|
| Journalists |
%
|
6
|
78
|
16
|
| Car workers |
%
|
5
|
90
|
5
|
| Members of Parliament |
%
|
7
|
88
|
5
|
| Managers in industry |
%
|
19
|
74
|
7
|
| Farmworkers |
%
|
71
|
24
|
5
|
| People in your (head of household's) job |
%
|
42
|
43
|
15
|
Q Now I would like to ask you about Britain's membership of the Common Market. Do you think Britain's membership of the Common Market over the past few years has or has not...?
| |
|
Has |
Has
not |
No
difference |
No
opinion |
|---|
| ...been the main cause of the rise in food prices? |
%
|
76
|
17
|
2
|
4
|
| ...reduced Britain's control over her own destiny? |
%
|
63 |
19 |
7 |
11 |
| ...given British industry greater opportunities? |
%
|
45 |
36 |
9 |
10 |
| ...increased the political stability of Europe? |
%
|
44 |
27 |
11 |
18 |
| ...strengthened Britain's ties with the Commonwealth? |
%
|
25 |
55 |
8 |
11 |
Q If there was a referendum now on whether Britain should stay in or get out of the Common Market, how would you vote?
| |
% |
|---|
| Stay in
|
47
|
| Get out
|
42
|
| Don't know |
11
|
Q Do you think the death penalty is ever justified or not?
| |
% |
|---|
| Yes, sometimes justified
|
81
|
| No, never justified
|
17
|
| Don't know |
2
|
Q (To those who do not say the death penalty is "never justified" at previous question) I am going to read out a list of various crimes, and I would like you to tell me whether or not you feel the death penalty would be a suitable punishment for those who commit such crimes.
| |
|
Suitable |
Not suitable/
never justified |
Don't
know
|
|---|
| Kidnapping for ransom |
%
|
36
|
57
|
8
|
| Violent robbery |
%
|
40
|
53
|
7
|
| Violent rape |
%
|
50
|
43
|
7
|
| Terrorism |
%
|
68
|
27
|
4
|
| Murder |
% |
73 |
22 |
5 |
| Murder of a policeman |
% |
78 |
19 |
3 |
| Hijacking a plane |
% |
54 |
38 |
8 |
Q Now I'd like to discuss unemployment. Here is a list of some of the unpleasant things often associated with being unemployed: which two or three would you say are the most serious these days?
Q And which do you think are not as serious as they used to be?
| |
Most serious |
Not as serious
as they used to be
|
|---|
| |
% |
% |
|---|
| Difficulty in making ends meet on unemployment benefit |
43 |
19 |
| The fact that the longer you are unemployed the more difficult it is to get a job |
40 |
6 |
| Running into debt |
40 |
9 |
| Losing the will to work |
35 |
6 |
| Boredom |
27 |
11 |
| Feeling a burden on the family |
21 |
9 |
| Hostility from people who think the unemployed are lazy |
18 |
11 |
| Signing on at employment exchange |
6 |
45 |
| Embarrassment of meeting friends and neighbours |
6 |
40 |
| None of these |
1 |
6 |
| Don't know |
2 |
7 |
Q Which of the groups on this card do you think is most to blame for unemployment?
| |
% |
|---|
| Government/Labour Party |
15 |
| Trade unions/Trade union leaders |
27 |
| Workforce |
8 |
| World situation |
34 |
| All of us |
12 |
| Management |
6 |
| Private investors |
6 |
| Don't know |
4 |
Q How likely do you think it is that you or someone in your family will be unemployed at any time during the next year or two?
| |
% |
|---|
| Very likely |
10
|
| Quite likely |
13
|
| Not very likely |
26
|
| Not at all likely |
42
|
| Don't know |
9
|
