Coronavirus: Government dithering spikes huge fall in public approval ratings
The government’s capacity to keep the British public onside over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic has waned significantly, according to a new poll.
It comes as the latest figures from YouGov showed public approval of the government’s management of the pandemic throughout the last few months has dropped to its lowest levels yet.
The polling firm said the government’s net approval score currently stood at -33, dropping from -18 last week.
It is more than six months since the highest approval ratings were recorded, a figure of +51 at the end of March.
This is likely to have coincided with the unprecedented implementation of national lockdown measures announced by the prime minister on 23 March.
Perhaps the most alarming figure for the government will be that seven out of 10 Britons asked said the national coronavirus situation is getting worse.
Downing Street officials will fear losing the public’s support and their own public health message at such a crucial time.
New social distancing rules came into effect at the start of this week.
Social gatherings of more than six people indoors or outdoors are banned, alongside increasing cases of police officers issuing hefty fines for house parties.
A 19-year-old student from Nottingham University last week was fined £10,000 for holding a house party with 50 guests.
But the latest YouGov poll showed the public has not completely deserted the government, with 30 per cent saying it has handled Covid-19 well.
Nearly half of Britons said the public would be more to blame for a second coronavirus wave, a separate YouGov survey conducted on 16 September found.
Only yesterday, Boris Johnson reiterated the government’s desire to do “everything in our power” to prevent a second national lockdown.
But public sentiment could deteriorate further after health secretary Matt Hancock today unveiled new local lockdown restrictions in the north east.