Confidence in the UK economy has surged as the vaccine rollout gathers pace, a survey showed on Monday.
According to the latest Ipsos Mori Political Monitor, 43% of Britons think the economy will strengthen in the next months, a 14-point improvement on February. Around 41% of those surveyed thought it would worsen and 14% believed it would stay the same, giving an Economic Optimism Index score of +2, compared to February’s reading of -31.
It is the most optimistic the British public has been about the economy since 2015, and the largest month-on-month increase since polling began in 1978.
Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos Mori, said: “Although we shouldn’t be complacent that the pandemic is beaten yet, there are clear signs that the public is becoming more optimistic that Britain’s economy can bounce back from the hit it has taken over the last year, fuelled by very positive ratings about the vaccine rollout, which have increased even further this month.”
Asked about the vaccination programme, 88% of respondents thought the government had done a good job at ensuring the public were vaccinated as soon as possible, including 85% of Labour supporters.
But on a more general level, people were less satisfied with the way the government was running the country, with both the government and prime minister Boris Johnson receiving net balances of -7 each.
Asked about the handling of the pandemic specifically, 41% said the government had handled it well and 44% said it been badly handled.
Labour leader Keir Starmer also struggled to gain the country’s support. Of those surveyed, 33% were satisfied with his performance as opposition leader, while 42% were dissatisfied, giving a net balance of -9. It is Starmer’s first negative score since becoming Labour leader in April 2019.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak remained more popular, with 55% believing he has dealt with the crisis well.
If an election was held tomorrow, 45% said they would vote Conservative – a three point increase on February’s survey – while 38% would vote Labour.
Ipsos Mori surveyed 1,009 adults aged 18 and over between 5 and 12 March.
