Skip to main content
Fairness

Public First: Sunak’s Net Zero speech may scarcely cut through to voters

27 September 2023

In research carried out just before Rishi Sunak’s speech announcing changes to the UK’s net zero targets in September 2023 (including a 4,000 sample, nationally-representative poll and eight focus groups of 2019 Conservative voters who are now undecided), Public First’s James Frayne argues that Sunak’s speech will have a maginally negative impact on overall support for the Conservatives. Read Frayne’s analysis here:

Sunak’s Net Zero speech may scarcely cut through to voters at all outside the bubble

Reference article:

The latest from the Fairness timeline:

Climate Barometer Tracker 26th October 2023

Tracker data: Majority of the public support a tax on frequent flyers

Data from our Climate Barometer tracker shows that more than half of people in the UK support a tax on frequent flyers (52%), while just 18% say they oppose this outright. A substantial number neither support nor oppose this (21%), while a further don’t know (9%), suggesting support could be increased further, if the frequent flyer levy was given more prominence.

Read our Barometer Analysis of how support for the frequent flyer levy changes across different types of audiences: whilst the basic concept is likely to be seen as fair, people who would not be affected by the levy may nonetheless believe they will be, without clarity on how the policy would operate.

Policy Insight 18th October 2023

National Infrastructure Commission recommends low income households should be given free heat pumps

Independent advisers the National Infrastructure Commission has recommended in a new report that low income households are given free heat pumps to aid the transition away from gas boilers.

Polling shows that there is currently some hesitation – especially among Conservative voters – around the phasing out of gas boilers over the next decade, with a belief that net zero policies will be ‘expensive’ becoming widespread.

Policies such as this – were it to be enacted – would reflect calls for a ‘Fairness Lock’ from IPPR, protecting the least able to pay from the costs of  the green transition.

Opinion Insight 23rd September 2023

Greenpeace polling: Blue Wall constituents want subsidies for net zero policies (and will vote on climate)

Underscoring the message that people are not opposed to net zero policies, but do not consider themselves in a position to foot the bill for them, Greenpeace polling of 20,000 voters found that in Blue Wall constituencies:

  • 85% constituents who had an opinion want the government to provide more financial support to insulate homes
  • 73% want more government funding for heat pumps.
  • 88% want more government investment for renewable power and 79% want subsidised rail travel to ensure it is always cheaper than driving
  • 80% support the idea of a wealth tax on the richest 1% of people to fund action on climate change, and 87% want to see a loophole-free windfall tax on the profits of oil and gas companies.

Taken together, these results suggest a strong appetite for a range of climate policies, so long as the right people (the wealthiest individuals and oil & gas companies) pick up the tab

  • Source: Greenpeace
  • Author: Mal Chadwick
  • Date: 26th September 2023
View Fairness timeline now

Add Feedback