What does UK polling show about the NHS?

UK polling consistently shows the NHS as the public's highest-priority domestic issue. 78% say the NHS is struggling, 22% are satisfied with NHS performance, and Labour leads NHS trust at 34% despite being in government. NHS waiting lists remain a top concern, with 64% saying they have not been reduced as Labour promised.

What does polling say about Brexit's legacy?

Brexit polling in 2026 shows approximately 53% of UK adults say Brexit was wrong versus 47% right — reversing the narrow Leave majority of 2016. However, only 26% want to rejoin the EU, suggesting that while the decision is regretted, the appetite for reversing it is limited. Brexit legacy has reduced salience as an active issue compared to 2018-2021.

What are the top polling issues in the UK in 2026?

The top five issues by salience in 2026 polling are: NHS and healthcare (cited by 67% as a top-3 concern), cost of living and inflation (58%), immigration (54%), housing (46%), and climate change (38%). Immigration is most strongly associated with Reform UK support. Climate change has declined in relative salience since 2021-22 but remains the dominant issue for Green Party supporters.

How do UK polling issue priorities compare to those of other democracies?

UK voters' issue priorities in 2026 — led by NHS/healthcare (67% very important), cost of living (65%), and immigration (48%) — are broadly typical of post-pandemic developed democracies with ageing populations and housing crises. Compared to the US, UK voters are more concerned with public services and less focused on culture war issues. Compared to France and Germany, UK voters are less concerned with EU relations (Brexit having resolved the immediate issue) and more concerned with NHS-specific performance. Climate ranks fifth in the UK (38% very important), lower than in Germany (54%) but higher than in the US (29%) among comparable surveys.

How do issue priorities change between elections in UK polling?

Issue priorities shift significantly between electoral cycles. In 2019, Brexit dominated (cited by 64% of voters as a top concern). By 2024, Brexit had fallen to approximately 15%, replaced by cost of living (70%) and NHS (65%). In 2026, cost of living remains high but has declined from its 2022-2023 crisis peak as prices stabilised. Immigration has risen significantly from approximately 28% in 2021 to 48% in 2026. Climate has remained consistently in the 35-42% range. This volatility in issue salience makes mid-term polling analysis particularly important: parties that own the wrong issues going into an election face structural challenges regardless of their position on the issues voters care about.

What does polling show about trust in politics in 2026?

UK political trust in 2026 is at historically low levels. Approximately 72% of voters agree that 'politicians are mainly in it for themselves'. Only 22% of voters trust the government to act in the public interest most of the time. Trust in Parliament as an institution sits at approximately 28%. These figures are the lowest on record in continuous tracking surveys going back to the 1980s. The low trust environment creates structural advantages for anti-establishment parties like Reform UK and the Greens, who benefit from positioning as alternatives to the 'Westminster system'. It also makes it harder for Labour to convert its governmental incumbency into public confidence.

Issue Polling

UK Polling by Topic

What do voters really think? Explore polling data on the issues that shape British politics.

Browse by Issue

Detailed polling breakdowns for the issues that matter most to British voters.

49% YES

Scotland Independence

49% Yes, 51% No in May 2026. Near 50-50 for five years. SNP collapsed to 9 seats. IndyRef2 blocked. Full age, region and party breakdown.

Scotland independence polling →

ONGOING

Brexit Legacy

Was Brexit worth it? 38% yes, 45% no. Regret polling has shifted significantly since the 2016 vote.

NHS Satisfaction

NHS satisfaction at a record low of 24% (King’s Fund). Which party do voters trust most to fix it?

Crime & Policing

58% of voters say crime has gotten worse. Police trust is falling. Reform UK is gaining ground on this issue.

Climate Change

61% of voters back net zero, but 71% of Reform UK voters oppose it. Party support is deeply divided.

61%

back net zero

71%

Reform voters against

Climate polling →

TOP ISSUE FOR REFORM

Immigration

61% want migration reduced. Reform UK leads on trust at 34%. Labour at just 8% — a historic low.

Immigration polling →

HOUSING CRISIS

Housing

74% say there’s a housing crisis. 37% trust no party on housing — the highest ‘none’ figure of any issue.

Cost of Living

77% still struggling despite inflation at 2.7%. 64% say finances are worse under Labour. No party trusted on economy.

77%

still struggling

12%

say finances improved

Cost of living polling →

TRUST COLLAPSE

Economy

No party trusted: Conservatives 22%, Labour 19%, Reform 17%. 28% trust nobody — a three-way near-tie unprecedented in modern polling.

Defence

61% back a spending rise. 67% support Trident. Ukraine support at 54% but falling from 79%. Conscription rejected 2-to-1.

Welfare

58% want two-child limit abolished. 52% oppose PIP cuts. 71% opposed winter fuel cut. Labour still leads on trust but is haemorrhaging welfare-state voters.

58%

want two-child limit gone

32%

trust Labour on welfare

Welfare polling →

GREY REVOLT

Pensioners & The Older Vote

Reform UK at 35% among over-65s. Labour collapsed to 12%. 71% oppose winter fuel cut. 75% turnout — pensioners shape every election result.

Pensioner vote polling →

LABOUR LOSING YOUTH

Young Voters & The 18–34 Vote

Labour down 19 points among 18–34s since 2019. Greens at 22% with young voters. Housing and climate driving the generational shift.

Young voter polling →

CLASS REALIGNMENT

Class Politics & the Education Divide

Reform UK at 38% among non-graduates. Greens at 22% among degree-holders. The biggest class realignment in modern British political history.

Class politics polling →

PR DEBATE

Electoral Reform & PR

58% back proportional representation. Reform UK win 28% of votes but get 5 seats — their voters are the most under-represented in parliament.

58%

back PR

~180

Reform seats under PR

Electoral reform polling →

YOUTH CRISIS

Mental Health

65% say there’s a mental health crisis. 1.8 million on NHS waiting lists. 1 in 6 children have a probable mental disorder. 29% trust no party to fix it.

Mental health polling →

EU RESET

UK–EU Relations

53% say Brexit was wrong but only 38% want to rejoin. 54% back the reset deal. The age gap is the sharpest in British politics: 77% of 18–34s vs 39% of 65+ say Brexit was wrong.

UK–EU relations polling →

FUNDING CRISIS

Education

68% say schools are underfunded. 2,400+ teacher vacancies unfilled. 81% back mental health provision in schools. Labour leads party trust on education at 28%.

Social Care

71% say the social care system is broken. 1.5 million in the care gap. £1.5bn NHS bed-blocking cost. 31% trust no party to fix it — the highest “no party” score of any policy area.

Social care polling →

UKRAINE & GAZA

Foreign Policy

61% back Ukraine aid. 73% want a Gaza ceasefire. 67% support NATO. Trump has a 23% favourability rating in the UK. How voters see Britain’s role in the world.

Foreign policy polling →

More Issue Polling

NHS & Health

Waiting times, funding & party trust

Economy

Growth, tax & cost of living

Immigration

Net migration & public opinion

Housing

Affordability & planning polling

Cost of Living

Inflation & household pressures

About Issue Polling

Issue polling measures what voters think about specific policy areas, not just which party they support. Sources include YouGov, Ipsos, the King’s Fund, and the British Social Attitudes survey.