margaret thatcher: poll rating trends
DESCRIPTION
Margaret Thatcher was British Prime Minister from May 1979 to November 1990, and in almost every month during that period MORI polled the opinions of the British public about her performance as Prime Minister, the way the government was running the country, how they would vote if there were an election and what they thought about the issues of the day.TRANSCRIPT
2
-70
-60
-50
-40
-30
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Aug-7
9
Nov-7
9
Feb-8
0
May-8
0
Aug-8
0
Nov-8
0
Feb-8
1
May-8
1
Aug-8
1
Nov-8
1
Feb-8
2
May-8
2
Aug-8
2
Nov-8
2
Feb-8
3
May-8
3
Aug-8
3
Nov-8
3
Feb-8
4
May-8
4
Aug-8
4
Nov-8
4
Fe
b-8
5
May-8
5
Aug-8
5
Nov-8
5
Feb-8
6
May-8
6
Aug-8
6
Nov-8
6
Feb-8
7
May-8
7
Aug-8
7
Nov-8
7
Feb-8
8
May-8
8
Aug-8
8
Nov-8
8
Feb-8
9
May-8
9
Aug-8
9
Nov-8
9
Feb-9
0
May-9
0
Aug-9
0
Nov-9
0
Source: Ipsos MORI
Satisfaction with Thatcher and her government
How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way Margaret Thatcher is doing her job as Prime Minister/the government is running the country?
% Satisfied with Thatcher
% Satisfied with government
Net satisfaction - government
Net satisfaction -Thatcher
June 1982: 59%
Falklands
March 1981: -58
Budget – spending cuts
General Election General Election
March 1990: -63
Poll tax
October 1984:
Brighton bomb
Base: c. 1,000 British adults each month
3
-70
-60
-50
-40
-30
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Aug
-79
Nov-7
9
Feb
-80
May-8
0
Aug
-80
Nov-8
0
Feb
-81
May-8
1
Aug
-81
Nov-8
1
Feb
-82
May-8
2
Aug
-82
Nov-8
2
Feb
-83
May-8
3
Aug
-83
Nov-8
3
Feb
-84
May-8
4
Aug
-84
Nov-8
4
Feb
-85
May-8
5
Aug
-85
Nov-8
5
Feb
-86
May-8
6
Aug
-86
Nov-8
6
Feb
-87
May-8
7
Aug
-87
No
v-8
7
Feb
-88
May-8
8
Au
g-8
8
Nov-8
8
Feb
-89
Ma
y-8
9
Aug
-89
Nov-8
9
Fe
b-9
0
May-9
0
Aug
-90
No
v-9
0
Source: Ipsos MORI
Satisfaction with Thatcher as Prime Minister
How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way Margaret Thatcher is doing her job as Prime Minister?
Base: c. 1,000 British adults each month
% Satisfied with Thatcher
Net satisfaction -Thatcher
June 1982: Falklands
General Election General Election
March 1990:
Poll tax
October 1984:
Brighton bomb
Spending cuts
4
-70
-60
-50
-40
-30
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
Aug-7
9
Nov-7
9
Feb-8
0
May-8
0
Aug-8
0
Nov-8
0
Feb-8
1
May-8
1
Aug-8
1
Nov-8
1
Feb-8
2
May-8
2
Aug-8
2
Nov-8
2
Feb-8
3
May-8
3
Aug-8
3
Nov-8
3
Feb-8
4
May-8
4
Aug-8
4
Nov-8
4
Fe
b-8
5
May-8
5
Aug-8
5
Nov-8
5
Feb-8
6
May-8
6
Aug-8
6
Nov-8
6
Feb-8
7
May-8
7
Aug-8
7
Nov-8
7
Feb-8
8
May-8
8
Aug-8
8
Nov-8
8
Feb-8
9
May-8
9
Aug-8
9
Nov-8
9
Feb-9
0
May-9
0
Aug-9
0
Nov-9
0
Source: Ipsos MORI
Net satisfaction with Thatcher and her government
How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way Margaret Thatcher is doing her job as Prime Minister/the government is running the country?
Net satisfaction - government
Net satisfaction -Thatcher
June 1982: Falklands
March 1981: -58
Budget – spending cuts
General Election General Election
March 1990: -63
Poll tax
October 1984:
Brighton bomb
Base: c. 1,000 British adults each month
5
-70
-60
-50
-40
-30
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Aug-7
9
Nov-7
9
Feb-8
0
May-8
0
Aug-8
0
Nov-8
0
Feb-8
1
May-8
1
Aug-8
1
Nov-8
1
Feb-8
2
May-8
2
Aug-8
2
Nov-8
2
Feb-8
3
May-8
3
Aug-8
3
Nov-8
3
Feb-8
4
May-8
4
Aug-8
4
Nov-8
4
Fe
b-8
5
May-8
5
Aug-8
5
Nov-8
5
Feb-8
6
May-8
6
Aug-8
6
Nov-8
6
Feb-8
7
May-8
7
Aug-8
7
Nov-8
7
Feb-8
8
May-8
8
Aug-8
8
Nov-8
8
Feb-8
9
May-8
9
Aug-8
9
Nov-8
9
Feb-9
0
May-9
0
Aug-9
0
Nov-9
0
Source: Ipsos MORI
Satisfaction with Thatcher and her government
How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way Margaret Thatcher is doing her job as Prime Minister/the government is running the country?
% Satisfied with government
Net satisfaction - government
June 1982: Falklands
March 1981: -58
Budget – spending cuts
General Election General Election
March 1990: -63
Poll tax
October 1984:
Brighton bomb
Base: c. 1,000 British adults each month
6
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Se
p-7
8
Sep
-79
Sep
-80
Sep
-81
Sep
-82
Sep
-83
Sep
-84
Se
p-8
5
Sep
-86
Sep
-87
Sep
-88
Sep
-89
Sep
-90
Margaret Thatcher – personal attributes
General Election General Election
Capable leader
More honest than most
politicians
Out of touch with
ordinary people
General Election
Understands
problems facing
Britain
Source: Ipsos MORI Base: c. 1,000 British adults each month
7
7
Like her? Like her policies? Compared to Blair and
Cameron
Thatcher
October
1984
Thatcher
November
1990
Blair
December
1997
Blair
May
2007
Cameron
April
2010
% % % % %
I like him/her and I like his/her policies 26 20 47 27 29
I like him/her but I do not like his/her
policies 19 19 22 30 19
I do not like him but I like his policies 15 8 7 6 9
I do not like him & I do not like his policies 35 52 14 31 38
Don't know 5 2 10 5 4
Total like him/her 45 39 69 57 48
Total do not like him/her 50 60 21 37 47
Total like his/her policies 41 28 54 33 38
Total do not like his/her policies 54 71 36 61 57
Source: Ipsos MORI Base: c. 1,000 British adults each month
8
Source: MORI Political Monitor
Margaret Thatcher – satisfaction ratings
Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way Margaret Thatcher is doing her job as Prime Minister?
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Satisfied
Dissatisfied
May 1979-November 1990 Average 1979-90
Satisfied Don’t know
Dissatisfied
40%
54%
6%
Net = -14
Base: c. 1,000-2,000 British adults 18+ each month
First term Second term Third term
Falklands War
9
Net
sati
sfa
cti
on
How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way … is doing his / her job as Prime Minister?
Satisfaction with Prime Ministers
THATCHER
BLAIR MAJOR
BROWN
CAMERON
Base: c. 1,000 British adults each month Source: Ipsos MORI Political Monitor
Number of months from becoming Prime Minister
Note: Data collected prior to June 2008 was collected via face-to-face methodology; data collected from June 2008 was via telephone
10
Net
sati
sfa
cti
on
LABOUR: 1997 - 2010
Base: c. 1,000 British adults each month Source: Ipsos MORI Political Monitor
Number of months from new
government taking power
Note: Data collected prior to June 2008 was collected via face-to-face methodology; data collected from June 2008 was via telephone
JOHN MAJOR
BECOMES PM
CONSERVATIVES: 1979-1997
COALITION: 2010-2012
How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way the government is running the country?
Satisfaction with governments
GORDON BROWN
BECOMES PM
11
3
9
10
17
13
26
22
4
6
7
10
11
27
36
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Don't know
None
John Major
David Cameron
Gordon Brown
Tony Blair
Margaret Thatcher
Capable
Liked
Base: 508 British adults 18+, 17th - 19th June 2011 Source: Ipsos MORI Political Monitor
Most capable/liked Prime Minister?
Which one of the following Prime Ministers do you consider the most capable leader/like most as a person?
%
12
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Jun-8
7
Sep-8
7
Dec-8
7
Mar-8
8
Jun-8
8
Sep-8
8
Dec-8
8
Mar-8
9
Jun-8
9
Sep-8
9
Dec-8
9
Source: Ipsos MORI
Poll tax
Do you support or oppose the government adopting the following policy? ‘Replacing the system of domestic rates with a fixed charge paid by people in each household aged over 18’
% Oppose
% Support
Base: c. 1,000 British adults each month
13
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
14 A
pr '8
2
21 A
pr '8
2
24 A
pr '8
2
30 A
pr '8
2
03 M
ay '8
2
16 M
ay '8
2
26 M
ay '8
2
23 J
un '8
2
Source: Ipsos MORI
Falklands
Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way the Government are now handling the situation in the Falkland Islands?
% Satisfied
% Dissatisfied
Base: c. 1,000 British adults each time