Poll Archive
The Times Poll - March 2009
Fieldwork: March 6th 2009 - March 8th 2009
published by The Times
Change since previous poll (February 6th-8th) shown in brackets
| Labour | 30% (+2%) |
|---|---|
| Conservative | 42% (-) |
| Lib Dem | 19% (+1%) |
| Others | 9% (-3%) |
With Britain's economy facing problems in the months or years ahead, who do you most trust to deal with it in the best interests of Britain?
| 5-7 Sep-07 | 17 Sep-07 | 5-7 Oct-07 | 1-3 Feb-08 | 20 Feb-08 | 12 Mar-08 | 2-4 May-08 | 29-31 Aug-08 | 3-5 Oct-08 | 7-9 Nov-08 | 25-26 Nov- 08 | 5-7 Dec-08 | 9-11 Jan-09 | 6-8 Mar-09 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown & Darling | 61% | 56% | 43% | 33% | 38% | 43% | 30% | 30% | 31% | 36% | 38% | 40% | 38% | 33% |
| Cameron & Osborne | 27% | 18% | 28% | 36% | 34% | 40% | 40% | 39% | 38% | 33% | 35% | 31% | 35% | 37% |
| Neither/Don't know | 12% | 26% | 29% | 28% | 26% | 17% | 26% | 25% | 29% | 30% | 27% | 30% | 28% | 21% |
| Net Brown & Darling | +34% | +38% | +15% | -3% | +4% | +3% | -10% | -9% | -7% | +3% | +3% | +9% | +3% | -4% |
I'd like to ask how optimistic or pessimistic you are about Britain's economy. Thinking about all the things that may affect the economy - such as changes in salaries and wages, the level of interest rates and tax, the rates of inflation and unemployment, and the strength of the pound – how do you think the British economy will fare over the next year a) for the country as a whole, b) for you and your family, c) for people who work in the public sector, d) for people who work in the private sector?
| Well | Badly | Net badly | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The country as a whole | 20% | 78% | -58% |
| Me & my family | 47% | 51% | -4% |
| People who work in the public sector | 40% | 58% | -18% |
| People who work in the private sector | 29% | 68% | -39% |
| Sep 03 | Mar 04 | Nov 04 | Apr 05 | Nov 05 | Mar 07 | Sep 07 | Apr 08 | Jul 08 | Nov 08 | Jan 09 | Feb 09 | Mar 09 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country as a whole - Well | 65% | 64% | 64% | 77% | 64% | 56% | 53% | 39% | 22% | 31% | 18% | 20% | 20% |
| Country as a whole - Badly | 36% | 29% | 28% | 19% | 28% | 36% | 45% | 59% | 77% | 66% | 79% | 77% | 78% |
| Country as a Whole - Net | +29% | +35% | +36% | +58% | +36% | +20% | +8% | -20% | -55% | -35% | -61% | -57% | -58% |
| Me & Family - Well | 65% | 63% | 63% | 75% | 63% | 60% | 61% | 50% | 32% | 51% | 46% | 49% | 47% |
| Me & Family - Badly | 35% | 31% | 28% | 19% | 28% | 34% | 34% | 47% | 66% | 44% | 50% | 48% | 51% |
| Me & Family – Net | +30% | +32% | +35% | +56% | +35% | +26% | +27% | +3% | -34% | +7% | -4% | +1% | -4% |
BEST PARTY ON KEY ISSUES
[Change since September 2008 shown in brackets where applicable]
* Lead is over Lib Dems, not Conservatives
| Labour | Conservative | Lib Dem | Net Labour lead | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Improving the National Health Service | 35% (-) | 27% (-6%) | 17% (-) | +8% (+6%) |
| Manage economy well in bad times as well as good | 28% (-4%) | 34% (-6%) | 14% (+3%) | -6% (+2%) |
| Improving standards in schools | 33% (-) | 28% (-4%) | 16% (-2%) | +5% (+4%) |
| Getting right balance between taxes & spending | 27% (+2%) | 32% (-4%) | 17% (-2%) | -5% (+6%) |
| Dealing with crime & anti-social behaviour | 28% (+2%) | 37% (-7%) | 12% (+1%) | -9% (+9%) |
| Tackling the problem of climate change | 25% (+4%) | 21% (-2%) | 26% (-5%) | -1% (+10%) * |
| Tackling the shortage of affordable housing | 34% (-2%) | 22% (-4%) | 16% (-4%) | +12% (+2%) |
| Immigration & asylum | 25% (+2%) | 36% (-4%) | 14% (-3%) | -11% (+6%) |
| Reforming Britain's welfare system | 32% | 30% | 17% | +2% |
| Dealing with the current recession | 30% | 33% | 13% | -3% |
| Representing Britain's best interests in the EU | 30% (+1%) | 33% (-14%) | 12% (-6%) | -3% (+5%) |
A grouping of the leaders of most of the world's biggest economies – known as the G20 – is meeting next month in London, under the Chairmanship; of Gordon Brown, to discuss what more can be done by co-ordinated international action to address the global economic downturn. How much confidence do you have that the G20 meeting will...
help the recession here in Britain?
| All | Men | Women | AB | C1 | C2 | DE | Lab | Con | LD | Public sector | Private sector | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A great deal of confidence | 6% | 7% | 5% | 8% | 7% | 2% | 4% | 13% | 4% | 1% | 9% | 5% |
| A little confidence | 56% | 55% | 57% | 62% | 57% | 50% | 52% | 66% | 57% | 64% | 58% | 59% |
| No confidence | 38% | 38% | 37% | 29% | 36% | 47% | 41% | 29% | 40% | 35% | 33% | 35% |
help the global economy to recover?
| All | Men | Women | AB | C1 | C2 | DE | Lab | Con | LD | Public sector | Private sector | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A great deal of confidence | 5% | 6% | 5% | 8% | 7% | 2% | 4% | 12% | 5% | 3% | 5% | 6% |
| A little confidence | 64% | 64% | 63% | 71% | 65% | 59% | 57% | 72% | 68% | 66% | 66% | 68% |
| No confidence | 30% | 29% | 30% | 22% | 27% | 38% | 36% | 22% | 27% | 31% | 29% | 25% |
This week Gordon Brown visited the United States, becoming the first European leader to meet with President Barack Obama since his election and giving a speech to the US Congress about the need for a ‘global new deal' to strengthen the economy. Does this make you feel more positively towards Gordon Brown as Prime Minister, or less positively towards him, or does it make no real difference to your view either way?
| All | Men | Women | AB | C1 | C2 | DE | Lab | Con | LD | Public sector | Private sector | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| More positive | 25% | 24% | 26% | 23% | 29% | 24% | 22% | 46% | 14% | 21% | 22% | 24% |
| Less positive | 13% | 16% | 10% | 12% | 10% | 13% | 16% | 1% | 25% | 14% | 10% | 10% |
| No difference | 63% | 60% | 65% | 65% | 61% | 63% | 62% | 53% | 61% | 64% | 68% | 66% |
| Net 'more positive' | 12% | 8% | 16% | 11% | 19% | 11% | 6% | 45% | -11% | 7% | 12% | 14% |
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