According to Ipsos MORI's latest Issues Index for The Economist, 36% of the public mention the economy amongst the most important issues facing Britain – a fall of three percentage points since last month, and the lowest percentage to do so since June 2008, as concern was increasing as a result of the financial crisis.

1. Contacts: Gideon.Skinner@ipsos.com
Jerry.Latter@ipsos.com
020 7347 3000
Ipsos MORI Issues Index
March 2014

2. 2
Base: 986 British adults 18+, 28th February – 9th March Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
Issues Facing Britain: March
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
36
35
26
24
16
15
12
12
12
11 -1
Top mentions %
Economy
Unemployment
Housing
NHS
Race relations/Immigration
Education/Schools
Inflation/Prices
Poverty/Inequality
Change since Feb:
-3
+1
+1
-3
+1
-2
-1
-4
0
-1
% Position
Crime/Law and order
Pensions/benefits
+2
+1
-1
+1
-2

3. 3
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
Issues Facing Britain: Long Term Trends
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
May
1997
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
May
2006
May
2007
May
2008
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
Unemployment
NHS
Crime/
Law & Order
Economy
Race / immigration

4. 4
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
May
1997
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
May
2006
May
2007
May
2008
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
Issues Facing Britain:
Economy / Economic situation
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
Global Recession and
Russian Financial
crisis
Highest score since 1992.
Most important issue for the
first time
Sub-prime
mortgage crisis in
the US
Northern Rock
nationalised
End of
recession
announced
Bank
bailout
Cameron becomes
PM
Lowest score since
June 2008 (36%)

5. 5
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
Issues Facing Britain:
Race Relations / Immigration / Immigrants
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
0
10
20
30
40
50
May
1997
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
May
2006
May
2007
May
2008
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
Race riots in
Burnley, Oldham,
and Bradford
Sangatte detention
centre constantly in the
news throughout 2002
9/11
Anthony Walker
murdered in
Liverpool
Foreign
prisoners
furore
Cameron becomes
PM
Border controls relaxed for
Romanians and Bulgarians

6. 6
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
Issues Facing Britain:
Unemployment / Factory closure / Lack of industry
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
0
10
20
30
40
50
May
1997
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
May
2006
May
2007
May
2008
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
‘New Deal’
launched, providing
training, subsidised
employment, and
voluntary work
to the unemployed
Unemployment falls
below 1 million for first
time in 25 years
Minimum wage
introduced
Unemployment in
Britain rises to
5.5%
Lowest ever score
Youth unemployment
reaches 1 million
Cameron becomes
PM

7. 7
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
Issues Facing Britain:
Crime / Law & Order / Violence / Vandalism / ASB
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
May
1997
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
May
2006
May
2007
May
2008
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
Fuel
Protests
May day riots
Blair activates civil contingencies
machinery to deal with spiralling street
crime
Tory election pledge of
40,000 more police
Foreign prisoners scandal –
Charles Clarke is sacked
Rhys Jones and
Garry Newlove
murdered
Riots
Prison
overcrowding
reaches record
levels
9/11
Cameron becomes
PM

8. 8
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
Issues Facing Britain:
NHS / Hospitals / Healthcare
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
May
1997
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
May
2006
May
2007
May
2008
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
Blair tells doctors “not enough”
has been done for the NHS –
allocates extra £20 billion. Report
says waiting lists have doubled
under Labour
Blair – “We have underfunded the NHS
for years and we are paying the price for
it” – BBC NHS day
Alan Milburn promises 35,000 more
nurses, 40 new hospitals and
development of foundation trusts as part
of NHS plan
General Election – “Battle
of Margaret’s shoulder”
Hewitt heckled at UNISON
conference – fears over NHS
job cuts
Lowest score
since
December 1985
Cameron becomes
PM

9. 9
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
Issues Facing Britain:
Education / Schools
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
0
10
20
30
40
50
May
1997
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
May
2006
May
2007
May
2008
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
London
Bombs
Introduction of
means-tested tuition
fees. Education most
important issue.
Fuel
Protests
City academies introduced to
combat entrenched failure in
some urban schools
Lowest score
since Dec 1985
Labour’s second term - pledge to
improve failing secondary schools
Education and
Inspections Bill limits
the power of LAs to
open new schools
April 2011 – Pupil Premium
introduced
Cameron becomes
PM

10. 10
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
Issues Facing Britain:
Defence / Foreign Affairs / International terrorism
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
May
1997
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
May
2006
May
2007
May
2008
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
9/11
London
Bombs
War in
Iraq
General Election - extra £400
million allocated for defence
budget
Failed terror
attacks in
London and
Glasgow
UK
withdraws
from Iraq
War in
Kosovo
Parliamentary
vote on action in
Syria
Cameron becomes
PM
Libyan Civil war:
height of NATO
bombing campaign

11. 11
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
Issues Facing Britain:
Poverty/inequality
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
0
5
10
15
20
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
May
2006
May
2007
May
2008
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
Sept 1999: Alastair
Darling – “one
child in three”
living in poverty
November 2013 –
highest score
recorded (16%)
January 2005 –
Make Poverty
History campaign
launched on New
Year’s Day
Cameron becomes
PM

12. 12
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
May
1997
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
May
2006
May
2007
May
2008
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
Issues Facing Britain:
Inflation/Prices
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
Inflation rate
hits 16 year
peak
Inflation rises to
3.4%
Cameron becomes
PM

13. 13
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
Issues Facing Britain:
Housing
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
0
5
10
15
20
May
1997
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
May
2006
May
2007
May
2008
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
9/11
House price
peak
A8 Countries join
the EU
House prices rising
at fastest rate in 10
years
2005 Election – Blair promises
to make families £800 better off
and help first time buyers
Highest score
since August
2008 (14%)
Cameron becomes
PM

14. 14
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
May
1997
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
May
2006
May
2007
May
2008
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
Issues Facing Britain:
Pensions/Benefits/Social security
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
Lords vote to increase
compensation for those whose
company pension schemes have
collapsed
Blair and Harriet Harman propose
‘affluence testing’ to exclude the
well-off from state benefits
Brown unveils
pension credits
Pensions commission report –
“more than 12 million working
people are not saving enough
for their retirement”
Lowest ever
score (3%)
Cameron becomes
PM

15. 15
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
Issues Facing Britain:
Pollution / Environment
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
0
5
10
15
20
May
1997
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
May
2006
May
2007
May
2008
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
Cameron’s “Vote
Blue, go Green”
campaign at 2006
local elections
Buncefield Oil Depot fire – toxic
cloud reaches northern Spain
Wettest Autumn since records began –
widespread flooding across the UK
EC proposes carbon
emission cuts of 20%
by 2020
Stern
report
Cameron becomes
PM
Floods in
England

16. 16
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
Issues Facing Britain:
Common Market / Europe / Euro / EU
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
0
10
20
30
40
May
1997
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
May
2006
May
2007
May
2008
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
G8 commitment to
globalisation in
Cologne
9/11
Treaty of accession
– 10 new member
states
UK starts 6 month
EU Presidency,
France and Holland
reject ratification of
constitution
Lowest score
since 1988
Amsterdam Treaty signed –
increases
EU remit
Cameron becomes
PM

17. 17
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
Rising concern about inequality and our personal
financial situation
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
0
10
20
30
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
May
2006
May
2007
May
2008
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
Cameron becomes
PM
Prices/Inflation
Poverty/inequality
Low pay/fair wages

18. 18
The economy’s pre-eminence comes to an end
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
36
35
26
24
16
15
12
12
12
11
52
29
28
27
15
14
13
11
10
9
Issues Index March 2014Issues Index March 2013
Economy
Race relations
/immigration
Unemployment
NHS
Poverty/inequality
Education/schools
Inflation/prices
Crime/law and order
Pensions/benefits
Housing
Economy
Race relations
/immigration
Unemployment
NHS
Crime/law and order
Inflation/prices
Education/schools
Poverty/inequality
Pensions/benefits
Housing

19. 19
Age within social grade: top two issues
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
Base: Issues Index January 2014-March 2014 Ipsos MORI
39%
31%
49%
36%
45%
30%30%
36%
32%
41%
48%
46%
0%
30%
60%
ABC1 C2DE ABC1 C2DE ABC1 C2DE
18-34 35-54 55+
Immigration/race relationsThe economy Unemployment