Gigapoll: Happiness, Fairness and Compassion Are Who We Are

You feel no one is listening to you, I get that. I feel it too.

I’ve shown this Government four ways to slash our energy bills, we could halve them at no cost. Nothing has happened.

I also feel we’re being told fairytales by right wing media and politicians – about the country we live in, about our fellow citizens, our neighbours and friends and what they care about – I feel disconnected from the picture they paint of our fabulous country.

That’s why I commissioned this Giga Poll, so named because it’s so much bigger than any poll before it. I wanted to know what Britain really thinks. And guess what, you also feel disconnected from this right-wing narrative.

Nigel Farage for all his populist skills is out of touch with the population… that for me is the biggest finding.

Happiness, fairness and compassion live and breathe in our people.

Farage, Britain’s very own Donald Trump Mini Me, can stick that in his pipe.

Yes we care about immigration, we want it under control – but we see the value of it too.

The cost of living looms large in our findings, it magnifies my frustration on the energy bill issue.

I’ve been banging on about breaking the link between the price of gas and the price of green energy for years.

Poverty looms large too, so many of us are struggling to pay the bills and face the disarmingly poetic choice between ‘heating and eating’. Luxuries for many are just a pipe dream.

We have choices here too, another thing I’ve been banging on about is a wealth tax. And reform of our tax system which is prejudiced towards people that have the most. It would affect me, I would happily pay it. Three-quarters of you see the growing inequality in our country and you agree with me – so strongly that the wealth tax is the third most popular policy Britain wants to see.

Trust is an issue too. We found so many of you don’t feel the Government is listening but you trust your local leaders because you know they understand the issues you face and your communities. That’s a key finding for me and I’m going to be doing my best in the months to come to get across your views and attitudes at the highest level.

More positivity and more right-wing disconnect is something that you may know has occupied my adult life fighting the climate crisis.

The majority of you get that climate crisis is real and is human made and something we have to tackle.

It’s driven by the mass burning of fossil fuels and we’re paying a big price now in lives and economic cost. Only one-in-ten Brits still believe it’s not us humans “wot did it”.

And in further good news just over half the country believes we must get to Net Zero. I hear the other half who think it is too costly but that’s the recent gaslighting of Reform at work – it’s not the true picture.

Net Zero will give us cheaper energy and energy independence and economic strength through freedom from the rollercoaster of global fossil fuel pricing. It’s not all about the climate.

My hope – and we all need hope – is that your views and attitudes, expressed through this massive poll will help shape the future of our country. It needs to start with Government, they have the levers of power – and they need to start by listening.

The Britain I know and love has a strong beating heart.

Our Giga Poll says so.

WEALTH

• 39% support the introduction of a new tax for the wealthiest people in the UK (third most popular issue out of 19 options)

• 25% of people think their personal finances will get better over the next five years, however 42% think that they will get worse

CLIMATE

• 61% agree climate change poses a threat to the future well-being of themselves and their family (13% disagree)

• 75% agree big business should have to pay for emissions reduction and environmental protection in line with their impact (6% disagree)

• 51% think we have no choice but to move to Net Zero by 2050 to save the planet but 49% think the economic impact of achieving Net Zero

NHS

• 79% of people think the NHS needs more funding and the Government should increase its budget

• 21% say NHS costs are going up too much and we should move to an insurance-style system. Doctors (67%) and nurses (59%) were the most trusted professions - just 5% support politicians

COMMUNITY POWER AND DEMOCRACY

• 63% agree councils should have more power to deviate from national rules to meet the needs of their communities (9% disagree)

• 69% want the Government to trial new ways of involving the public in decision making, such as citizens’ assemblies or online debates (7% disagree)