The February Economist/Ipsos MORI issues index shows that, after January’s dead heat between the economy and race/immigration concern about the latter among Britons has fallen by 7 percentage points to 34%, meaning that the economy is once again uncontested as the most important issue facing Britain today. Poll: http://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/researcharchive/3346/EconomistIpsos-MORI-February-2014-Issues-Index.aspx

1. Ipsos MORI Issues Index
February 2014
Contacts: Gideon.Skinner@ipsos.com
Jerry.Latter@ipsos.com
020 7347 3000

2. Issues Facing Britain: February
2
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
Change since Jan:
% Position
Top mentions %
39
Economy
Race relations/Immigration
34
29
Unemployment
23
NHS
Education/Schools
17
Crime/Law and order
Poverty/Inequality
Inflation/Prices
16
15
13
Housing
12
Pensions/benefits
12
Base: 968 British adults 18+, 31st January - 10th February 2014
-2
-7
-1
-3
-4
+2
+4
0
-1
-2
-2
+1
-4
+1
-4
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index

3. Issues Facing Britain: Long Term Trends
3
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
70
Economy
60
50
Unemployment
Race / immigration
40
30
20
NHS
10
Crime/
Law & Order
0
May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index

4. Issues Facing Britain:
Economy / Economic situation
4
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
Cameron becomes
PM
70
Bank
bailout
60
Highest score since 1992.
Most important issue for the
first time
50
40
30
Global Recession and
Russian Financial
crisis
End of
recession
announced
Lowest score since
the start of the
recession (39%)
Northern Rock
nationalised
20
10
Sub-prime
mortgage crisis in
the US
0
May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index

5. Issues Facing Britain:
Race Relations / Immigration / Immigrants
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
5
Cameron becomes
PM
50
Sangatte detention
centre constantly in the
news throughout 2002
Foreign
prisoners
furore
Border controls relaxed for
Romanians and Bulgarians
40
9/11
30
Race riots in
Burnley, Oldham,
and Bradford
20
Anthony Walker
murdered in
Liverpool
10
0
May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index

6. Issues Facing Britain:
Unemployment / Factory closure / Lack of industry
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
Cameron becomes
PM
50
Youth unemployment
reaches 1 million
40
Minimum wage
introduced
30
20
10
0
Unemployment in
Britain rises to
5.5%
‘New Deal’
launched, providing
training, subsidised
employment, and
voluntary work
to the unemployed
Lowest ever score
Unemployment falls
below 1 million for first
time in 25 years
May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
6

7. Issues Facing Britain:
Crime / Law & Order / Violence / Vandalism / ASB
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
60
Foreign prisoners scandal –
Charles Clarke is sacked
50
Blair activates civil contingencies
machinery to deal with spiralling street
crime
7
Cameron becomes
PM
Rhys Jones and
Garry Newlove
murdered
Tory election pledge of
40,000 more police
40
Riots
May day riots
30
Prison
overcrowding
reaches record
levels
20
Fuel
Protests
10
9/11
0
May
1997
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
May
2006
May
2007
May
2008
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index

8. Issues Facing Britain:
NHS / Hospitals / Healthcare
8
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
80
Cameron becomes
PM
Blair – “We have underfunded the NHS
for years and we are paying the price for
it” – BBC NHS day
70
60
General Election – “Battle
of Margaret’s shoulder”
50
Hewitt heckled at UNISON
conference – fears over NHS
job cuts
40
30
20
Blair tells doctors “not enough”
has been done for the NHS –
allocates extra £20 billion. Report
says waiting lists have doubled
under Labour
Alan Milburn promises 35,000 more
nurses, 40 new hospitals and
development of foundation trusts as part
of NHS plan
10
Lowest score
since
December 1985
0
May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index

9. Issues Facing Britain:
Education / Schools
9
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
50
Introduction of
means-tested tuition
fees. Education most
important issue.
40
Cameron becomes
PM
Labour’s second term - pledge to
improve failing secondary schools
City academies introduced to
combat entrenched failure in
some urban schools
Education and Inspections Bill
limits the power of LAs to
open new schools
30
20
April 2011 – Pupil Premium
introduced
Fuel
Protests
London
Bombs
10
Lowest score
since Dec 1985
0
May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index

10. Issues Facing Britain:
Defence / Foreign Affairs / International terrorism
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
70
War in
Iraq
60
London
Bombs
Failed terror
attacks in
London and
Glasgow
9/11
50
40
Cameron becomes
PM
Parliamentary
vote on action in
Syria
War in
Kosovo
UK
withdraws
from Iraq
30
20
10
0
General Election - extra £400
million allocated for defence
budget
May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index
10

11. Issues Facing Britain:
Poverty/inequality
11
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
Cameron becomes
PM
20
November 2013 –
highest score
recorded (16%)
Sept 1999: Alastair
Darling – “one
child in three”
living in poverty
15
January 2005 –
Make Poverty
History campaign
launched on New
Year’s Day
10
5
0
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
May
2006
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
May
2007
May
2008
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index

12. Issues Facing Britain:
Inflation/Prices
12
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
Cameron becomes
PM
30
Inflation rate
hits 16 year
peak
25
Inflation rises to
3.4%
20
15
10
5
0
May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index

13. Issues Facing Britain:
Housing
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
13
Cameron becomes
PM
20
House price
peak
15
2005 Election – Blair promises
to make families £800 better off
and help first time buyers
Highest score
since August
2008 (14%)
House prices rising
at fastest rate in 10
years
A8 Countries join
the EU
10
5
9/11
0
May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index

14. Issues Facing Britain:
Pensions/Benefits/Social security
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
30
25
Blair and Harriet Harman propose
‘affluence testing’ to exclude the
well-off from state benefits
14
Cameron becomes
PM
Pensions commission report –
“more than 12 million working
people are not saving enough
for their retirement”
Brown unveils
pension credits
20
Lords vote to increase
compensation for those whose
company pension schemes have
collapsed
15
10
Lowest ever
score (3%)
5
0
May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index

15. Issues Facing Britain:
Pollution / Environment
15
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
Cameron becomes
PM
20
Cameron’s “Vote
Blue, go Green”
campaign at 2006
local elections
Wettest Autumn since records began –
widespread flooding across the UK
15
EC proposes carbon
emission cuts of 20%
by 2020
Stern
report
Buncefield Oil Depot fire – toxic cloud
reaches northern Spain
10
5
0
May
1997
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
May
2006
May
2007
May
2008
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index

16. Issues Facing Britain:
Common Market / Europe / Euro / EU
16
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
40
Amsterdam Treaty signed –
increases
EU remit
Cameron becomes
PM
G8 commitment to
globalisation in
Cologne
30
Treaty of accession
– 10 new member
states
UK starts 6 month
EU Presidency,
France and Holland
reject ratification of
constitution
20
10
Lowest score
since 1988
9/11
0
May
1997
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
May
2006
May
2007
May
2008
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index

17. Rising concern about inequality and our personal
financial situation
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?
17
Cameron becomes
PM
30
Poverty/inequality
Low pay/fair wages
Prices/Inflation
20
10
0
May
1998
May
1999
May
2000
May
2001
May
2002
May
2003
May
2004
May
2005
May
2006
May
2007
May
2008
Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home
May
2009
May
2010
May
2011
May
2012
May
2013
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index

18. Difference in concern about
environment/pollution
18
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today? – Pollution/environment
20%
Selected sub-group concern
with pollution/environment:
18%
15%
14%
AB
10%
C1
8%
7%
4%
C2
3%
DE
0%
South
Social
35-54
National Greater Social
East excl. Grade AB year olds average London Grade DE
London
Base: 952 British adults 18+, 31st Jan – 10th Feb 2014
Council
renters
9%
17%
7%
Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index