Majority of Brits suppose UK is f***** as pre-budget gloom units in
A new poll has shown that 76% of UK voters are pessimistic about the future of the country, the highest level of gloom recorded since polling began in January of this year
The UK is moving in the wrong direction, most Brits say, marking another indicator of mounting despair regarding the nation’s economic situation. A City AM/Freshwater Strategy survey revealed that 76% of voters hold pessimistic views about the country’s future, representing the highest level of negativity documented since polling commenced in January this year.
Less than one in five individuals (19%) believed the UK was moving in the “right direction”. New research has exposed widespread dejection throughout Britain as joblessness climbed to its highest post-pandemic level, lending rates stay steep, and concerns grow that ministers will increase taxes on employees.
The survey also demonstrated that, when compared to September’s findings, more Britons anticipated the UK economy would decline, as reported by City AM. Approximately 59% of respondents predicted the UK economy would deteriorate, marking a three percentage point increase from polling published in early October.
This represented the second highest figure recorded this year following April, when households experienced regulated price increases in energy and water bills. Businesses also witnessed wage costs rise due to national insurance increases during that month, which became known as “awful April”.
More than double the number of Britons anticipated household finances would worsen (48%) compared to those expecting improvement (20%). More than half of participants in the same nationally representative survey of voters revealed they anticipated living standards to deteriorate over the coming year (53%), a greater share than documented last month.
The research mirrors Britons’ feelings of unease ahead of a challenging Autumn Budget where households, savers and pensioners are anticipated to face increased taxation.
It demonstrated that growing numbers of people nationwide were worried about escalating living costs, making it the most pressing concern for voters.
Rachel Reeves has stated that tackling inflation would be among the key objectives of the forthcoming Budget amid speculation that VAT might be removed from domestic energy bills and additional measures could be implemented to reduce living expenses.
Leading think tanks are also presenting a series of recommendations for Reeves to examine within a fortnight.
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), a centre-left think tank with connections to Labour figures, has urged the government to introduce consumer-friendly regulations to combat “shrinkflation”, where companies reduce product sizes whilst maintaining prices.
Its study suggested the government should require businesses to include labels on goods to “shame companies” that deceive consumers.
It also proposed that smaller local supermarkets should be compelled to offer cheaper own-brand alternatives.
The government should additionally provide subsidies for electricity expenses, according to the researchers. Meanwhile, business leaders have contended that escalating costs have tightened budgets across UK companies.
Jane Gratton, Deputy Director of Public Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, highlighted “sky-high employment costs” as a significant factor squeezing profits, following the Office for National Statistics (ONS) report of sustained high wage growth at 4.6%, excluding bonuses.
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