Labour has got off to a shaky start in government. It’s time it told the truth about the state we’re in

Voters have lost faith in politics to deliver and are desperate for things to get better. Polling from More in Common shows just 31% of people think democracy is working and 62% think politicians aren’t up to facing the country’s challenges. Trust in politicians has more than halved since the mid-1980s. The most common word people use to describe Britain is “broken”.

More in Common director Luke Tryl tells me there is an overwhelming feeling in focus groups that, despite doing the right thing and working hard, at the end of the month people feel as if they have nothing to show for it. He thinks that the steep fall in Labour’s approval ratings isn’t just a product of the government’s shaky start, but a huge impatience for things to improve.

The Sunday Times

24 November 2024

Two thirds of country back assisted dying

This weekend, a study drawing on the polling of more than 15,000 people by the think tank More in Common found the public almost five times as likely to support assisted dying as not, when they have a view, with 65 per cent in favour and only 13 per cent opposed. Nearly a quarter (22 per cent) were undecided.

Fifty-five per cent of those surveyed said they would consider assisted dying if they were diagnosed with a terminal illness. Of those who are against assisted dying, 58 per cent were religious. The position holds irrespective of political affiliation, age, gender, nation, ethnicity and educational attainment. The highest proportion of people who strongly support assisted dying was among 65-74-year-olds (44 per cent).

Financial Times

24 November 2024

Britain’s political consensus on climate starts to fracture

In 2019, the House of Commons unanimously passed legislation committing the UK to a legally binding target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, an unusual display of parliamentary unity. That political consensus is now under strain.

Polling by More in Common shows there is no constituency in Britain where concern about climate change is lower than 50 per cent of voters.

The Sun

23 November 2024

Brits tell Starmer to stand by Ukraine even if Trump waters down support

Research by think tank More in Common found that 41 per cent are worried a Trump-negotiated deal is likely to favour Russia more.

The poll of 2,000 adults found strong support for supplying Ukraine with British weapons - with almost half saying we had spent the right amount or too little on military aid.

And 48 per cent of Brits say it should be up to Ukraine to decide how they use the weapons we have provided them.

The Telegraph

18 November 2024

Why showdown with farmers risks defining Starmer’s Government

Polls demonstrate that farmers not only have the public’s backing in their fight against the Government but also hold a special place in the nation’s hearts – so much so that Luke Tryl, executive director of More in Common, warned the tax raid could become the Chancellor’s own “pasty tax.”

He said polling showed 57 per cent of the public supported exempting farmers from inheritance tax when passing down their estates, compared with 24 per cent against.

Huffington Post

10 November 2024

Exclusive: Brits Warn Labour Not To Let Donald Trump Derail Fight Against Climate Change

According to a poll carried out by More in Common, two-thirds say Britain should not water down its commitments even if America does so.

Conleth Burns, associate director of More in Common, said: “Our research reflects a national pride in the UK’s leadership on climate and a desire from the public to see the country to go further and faster rather than retreat.

“Should President Trump scale back recent US commitments to tackling climate change, there is no public mandate for the UK to follow suit. Public support for climate action is strong.”

News

The Guardian