Research

Introducing This Place Matters Our new public opinion research lays bare the challenges facing social cohesion in Britain today and the urgent need for a renewed focus on strengthening societal bonds, community connection and neighbourhood trust. 

In one of the first major electoral tests of the new parliament, More in Common’s research suggests that Britain’s new era of multi-party politics has put the mayoral elections on a knife edge. Based on polling and focus groups across all four mayoralties, the research highlights a public mood of widespread disillusionment, and the fragmentation of politics across the country. 

Our new MRP suggests a dramatic transformation of the political landscape since last July. Based on polling of over 16,000 people, the model estimates that, were an election held today, Reform UK would win 180 seats – the largest of any party, with the Conservatives and Labour tied on 165 seats each. No party would come close to an overall majority, reflecting a historically fragmented electorate.

After a dramatic week that culminated in the government seizing control of British Steel, our polling reveals what the public think about the events leading up to this moment, and the decisions made to keep the furnaces burning.

Following the announcement of 10% tariffs on all UK exports to the United States, new polling from More in Common shows that two-thirds of Britons are worried about tariffs, with fears of impact on the cost of living and a transatlantic relationship Britons increasingly see as fraught and unstable.

In October 2024, More in Common published Doom Loop, a report on public opinion on the economy ahead of  the Autumn Budget. That study highlighted deep economic pessimism among the public, concern that things were going backwards and tough choices facing the Chancellor. New polling from More in Common reveals that since the budget, this sense of doom has only deepened. The public are both deeply anxious and pessimistic about the economy, with little faith in the Government’s ability to make things better.

Polling by More in Common shows that the overwhelming majority of English people  – across ethnic groups, education levels, ages and politics – agree that race and ethnic background is no barrier to being English.