It has been nearly a year since the first case of COVID-19, and most Britons say that the government has handled the pandemic badly overall, as well in several key areas aside from the vaccine rollout.
Overall, six in ten (60%) people say the government is handling the pandemic badly as a whole; including 31% who say the issue of COVID-19 has been “very badly” handled. Just over a third of Britons (37%) they have handled it well, although only 5% say they have handled it “very well”.
Approval of the government’s overall handling of the pandemic is highest among Conservatives (68%), and lower among Lib Dems (20%) and Labour supporters (13%).
The survey also asked how Britons think the government is managing specific aspects of the pandemic. When it comes to protecting people’s jobs and income Britons are split, with 48% thinking the government has done well and 44% thinking it has done badly. Conservatives are again most likely to think the government has been effectively protecting jobs and income, at 70%, compared to nearly half of Lib Dems (48%) and a quarter of Labour voters (24%).
In terms of ensuring the NHS has the capacity to treat COVID-19 patients, Britons are more critical of the government. Half (53%) say the government has handled this badly, including 27% who say this part of the pandemic response has been handled “very badly”. Four in ten (39%) think handling of NHS resources has been managed well.
The area Britons feel the government has performed worst in is limiting the spread of the virus, which 70% of people think the government has done badly. Nearly half (49%) of Conservative voters agree, as do 90% of Labour supporters and 87% of Lib Dems.
There is one element of the UK’s pandemic response that Britons think is being handled well however; : the rollout of the various COVID-19 vaccines. Our latest figures show that 61% of people now think the rollout is being handled well, including 19% who say it is being handled “very well”. However, three in ten (29%) think the vaccine rollout is being handled badly.
Opinion had been split when we asked this question on 7 January: 41% thought the government is handling the rollout well then, compared to 45% who thought the rollout was being handled badly.
Along party lines, 81% of Conservatives (+17 from the earlier poll), 68% of Lib Dems (+37), and 48% of Labour voters (+24) all say the rollout is being handled well. However, a similar number of Labour voters (44%) think the rollout is being handled badly, as do 27% of Lib Dems, and 15% of Conservatives.
See overall pandemic handling results here
See specific pandemic issues handling results here
See vaccine rollout handling results here