Unhappy New Year? 72 per cent say UK ‘going in wrong direction’
Keir Starmer’s chances of a New Year reset have been dealt a blow with new research revealing a lack of confidence in the government’s economic policies.
The first of a new monthly Morning Wire/Freshwater Strategy poll found that 72 per cent of voters say the UK is going in the “wrong direction”, including 53 per cent of those who voted for Labour last summer.
The stark findings come as the Prime Minister faces tanking poll ratings and growing public dissatisfaction as he enters the new political year – despite a landslide election win just six months ago.
Some 75 per cent of voters polled for Morning Wire also said they were not confident in the UK government’s plan to deliver economic growth, including 52 per cent of Labour’s 2024 voters.
And just one in six voters believe Labour is best placed to manage and grow the economy, compared to 20 per cent who think Tory leader Kemi Badenoch could do a better job, and 24 per cent who say the same for Reform leader Nigel Farage.
Voters are also pessimistic about the future, with 55 per cent of people expecting the economy to deteriorate in 2025 – and just 16 per cent believe it will improve with 28 per cent unsure.
Almost half of voters expect their household finances to be worse in 2025, with 48 per cent believing they will feel poorer – versus 50 per cent who think it will be the same or better.
Just over half of those polled said their living standards had worsened over the past year, with just 13 per cent believing they had improved.
And 53 per cent think they will worsen again over the coming 12 months.
Freshwater’s country manager Matthew Lesh warned the findings “make grim reading for Starmer” and indicated “frosty attitudes from the British people”.
The poll, he said, “shows how the hope of change that was promised by Labour just last July has now turned to despair from voters”.
Asked to identify the single most important issue facing the country, 29 per cent said reducing inflation should be at the top of the government’s to-do list.
Just under 20 per cent prioritised reducing immigration, while improving healthcare and strengthening the economy were chosen by 16 per cent and 11 per cent of voters.
Lesh added: “There is time for Starmer to turn things around. But this will depend on delivery.
“If people feel better off at the next election today’s despair could rapidly turn to gratitude. But so far, voters are far rom thankful.”
Nigel Huddleston MP, Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party, said: “It is no surprise people think the UK is heading in the wrong direction given Labour’s disastrous first 6 months in government.
“They’ve scrapped Winter Fuel Payments for millions of vulnerable pensioners, put the family farm at risk, and left working people to pick up the tab for their assault on business – mess after mess, scandal after scandal, crisis after crisis.
“The British people deserve better than this failing government and their litany of broken promises.”
Meanwhile a Labour source told Morning Wire: “The Labour Government is getting on with delivering the Plan for Change. We’ve been clear from the outset that means taking the tough decisions needed to undo 14 years of Tory chaos and decline.
“While the opposition fight among themselves, the Labour Government is putting in the hard yards to deliver much-needed growth, create more jobs, make people better off by putting more money in people’s pockets, rebuild Britain and get our NHS back on its feet.”
Method note: Freshwater Strategy interviewed n=1,207 eligible voters in the UK, aged 18+ online, between 4-6 January 2025. Margin of Error +/- 2.8%. Data are weighted to be representative of UK voters.