Most Brits want economic change, poll finds

Most people living in the UK want to see changes to the way the economy works as we recover from the Coronavirus pandemic.

A poll by YouGov revealed that nearly one in three people – 31% – are in favour of major changes to economic policy, while 28% backed moderate changes.

Only 6% were in support of the economy working in the same way as it did before the Coronavirus pandemic hit.

The support for economic change may have been heightened by the disproportionate impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the most vulnerable groups, with BAME communities and those in low-paid professions hit harder economically as well as in terms of their health.

Almost half – 49% – of respondents felt that the pandemic had deepened existing inequalities, and 44% were pessimistic about the country’s economic future.

The results of the poll are released at the same time as 350 public figures have spoken out about the need for a “fairer and greener” economy, arguing that the need to rebuild from the Coronavirus-induced recession offers and opportunity to learn from our past mistakes.

One such figure, Labour peer Lord Kerslake, explained: “As the country begins to emerge from the crisis, it is becoming clear that people want a better future, not simply to return to where we were before. As with big crises in the past – from wars to the Great Depression – it was universally agreed that there was no going back.”

Lord Kerslake was joined in support of a new economic framework by other high-profile names, including former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams; Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of the TUC; and Director-General of the CBI, Caroline Fairburn.