(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – People in Britain have two key concerns, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 28 per cent of respondents think the economy is the most important issue facing the United Kingdom right now, while 17 per cent mention unemployment.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – People in Britain have two key concerns, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 28 per cent of respondents think the economy is the most important issue facing the United Kingdom right now, while 17 per cent mention unemployment.
Immigration is third on the list of worries with 15 per cent, followed by leadership with six per cent, political corruption and sleaze with five per cent, the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts with four per cent, and crime also with four per cent.
In June 2007, Gordon Brown officially became Labour leader and prime minister, replacing Tony Blair. Brown had worked as chancellor of the exchequer. Blair served as Britain’s prime minister since May 1997, winning majority mandates in the 1997, 2001 and 2005 elections to the House of Commons.
Since December 2005, David Cameron has been the leader of the Conservative party. In December 2007, current parliamentarian Nick Clegg became the new leader of the Liberal Democrats.
Britain has been hit hard by the global financial crisis. In 2007, the British Northern Rock bank—a prominent mortgage lender—was forced to seek emergency funding from the government. Brown’s administration has intervened to save bankrupt banks and boost the economy. In November 2008, Brown introduced a "shock-treatment" stimulus package to jump-start the country’s economy through tax cuts, increased government spending and a greater role in government lending. The package was valued at $31 billion U.S.
The United Kingdom’s unemployment rate stood at 7.9 per cent in August 2009.
On Oct. 22, Clegg called for new banking regulations, saying, "The banks are increasingly acting like a cartel, they are underwritten by the taxpayer, they have fewer competitors and they are now paying themselves eye-watering bonuses while the taxpayers who bailed them out are losing their jobs."
The next election to the House of Commons must be held on or before Jun. 3, 2010. Sitting prime ministers can dissolve Parliament and call an early ballot at their discretion.
Polling Data
What do you think is the most important issue facing the United Kingdom today?
|
Economy |
28% |
|
Unemployment |
17% |
|
Immigration |
15% |
|
Leadership |
6% |
|
Political corruption / Sleaze |
5% |
|
Iraq / Afghanistan |
4% |
|
Crime |
4% |
|
Poverty |
3% |
|
Healthcare / NHS |
3% |
|
Terrorism |
3% |
|
Education |
2% |
|
Environment |
2% |
|
Energy / Electricity |
2% |
|
Taxation |
2% |
|
European Integration |
2% |
|
Illegal Drugs |
1% |
|
Housing |
1% |
|
Other |
1% |
Source: Angus Reid Strategies
Methodology: Online interviews with 2,077 British adults, conducted on Oct. 15 and Oct. 16, 2009. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.
