Political Monitor - Satisfaction Ratings 1977-1987

Published:1 January 1988
Fieldwork:1977 - 1987
Theme:Politicians & Parties
Sub-Theme:Satisfaction with Government / Party Leaders
1977 | 1978 |1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988-1997 | 1997-present

Q Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way …

… the Government is running the country?
… Mr Callaghan is doing his job as Prime Minister?
… Mrs Thatcher is doing her job as Leader of the Opposition?
… Mr Steel is doing his job as Leader of the Liberals?

1977 Gov't Callaghan Thatcher Steel
  Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis
  % % % % % % % %
30 March 27 64 46
 45
 36 51 41 35
25-26 October 35 54 53 37 43 40 31 40

… the Government is running the country?
… Mr Callaghan is doing his job as Prime Minister?
… Mrs Thatcher is doing her job as Leader of the Opposition?

1978 Gov't Callaghan Thatcher
  Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis
  % % % % % %
12-13 April 46 46 64 31 54 40
13 June 34 56 52 40 41 49
11 July 32 58 50 42 44 44
14 August 36 54 51 41 41 47
4 September 35 56 49 42 42 46
11 September 36 51 50 41 42 45
8 November 39 53 54 40 38 51

… the Government is running the country?
… Mr Callaghan is doing his job as Prime Minister?
… Mrs Thatcher is doing her job as Leader of the Opposition?
…Mr Steel is doing his job as Leader of the Liberal Party?

1979 Gov't Callaghan Thatcher Steel
  Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis
  % % % % % % % %
30 January - 1 February 17 75 31 62 45 40    
3-5 March 22 69 41 52 43 45 35 36
29 March 30 63 43 51 44 46    
2 April 28 64 44 50 47 38    

… the Government is running the country?
… Mrs Thatcher is doing her job as Prime Minister?
… Mr Callaghan is doing his job as Leader of the Opposition?

1979 Gov't Thatcher Callaghan
  Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis
  % % % % % %
August 34 52 45 43 48 30
September 33 53 44 45 44 31
October 35 54 44 47 46 33
November 30 58 41 49 45 33

… the Government is running the country?
… Mrs Thatcher is doing her job as Prime Minister?
… Mr Callaghan/Foot is doing his job as Leader of the Opposition?

1980 Gov't Thatcher Callaghan
  Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis
  % % % % % %
January 30 59 39 50 35 41
February 26 63 37 55 38 42
March 28 62 37 56 44 34
April 33 57 43 50 41 37
June 32 59 42 52 37 43
July 32 62 38 57 42 41
August 30 61 37 56 37 44
September 27 64 35 58 41 41
October 27 65 34 58 Foot
November 25 65 32 61 23 21

… the Government is running the country?
… Mrs Thatcher is doing her job as Prime Minister?
… Mr Foot is doing his job as Leader of the Opposition?
… Mr Steel is doing his job as Leader of the Liberal Party?

1981 Gov't Thatcher Foot Steel
  Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis
  % % % % % % % %
January 26 66 33 61 24 37 46 21
February 23 69 32 63 24 45 48 21
March 16 74 29 65 23 50 50 19
April 24 68 33 60 24 50 45 23
June 25 68 34 61 29 47 48 23
July 22 70 31 62 25 51 43 24
August 22 70 29 64 24 51 43 24
September 20 71 28 65 25 49 45 25
October 22 72 30 65 24 56 46 26
November 20 72 28 64 17 63 47 20
December 18 73 25 66 16 64 44 24

… the Government is running the country?
… Mrs Thatcher is doing her job as Prime Minister?
… Mr Foot is doing his job as Leader of the Opposition?
… Mr Steel is doing his job as Leader of the Liberal Party?
… Mr Jenkins is doing his job as Leader of the SDP?

1982 Gov't Thatcher Foot Steel Jenkins
  Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis
  % % % % % % % % % %
January 23 68 32 61 20 60 46 25    
February 23 69 30 63 18 62 41 29    
March 29 63 36 57 22 59 41 28    
April 34 56 41 53 21 56 46 24    
May 49 44 56 40 18 67 48 24    
June 51 39 59 36 17 68 48 23    
July 42 47 51 41 14 68 45 24    
August 40 49 49 43 13 69 44 25 26 35
September 37 54 46 48 16 66 47 24 29 34
October 38 51 46 46 19 63 42 29 24 39
November 41 49 48 45 22 58 42 28 26 36
December 38 51 47 45 22 60 42 27 25 37

… the Government is running the country?
… Mrs Thatcher is doing her job as Prime Minister?
… Mr Foot/Kinnock is doing his job as Leader of the Opposition?
… Mr Steel is doing his job as Leader of the Liberal Party?
… Mr Jenkins/Dr Owen is doing his job as Leader of the SDP?

1983 Gov't Thatcher Foot Steel Jenkins
  Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis
  % % % % % % % % % %
January 42 48 49 45 20 64 46 27 26 38
February 41 50 49 45 16 68 44 27 24 40
March 42 50 48 46 19 66 52 24 32 38
April 41 48 49 44 20 65 47 26 24 43
May 43 46 51 42 22 61 50 24 27 38
General Election
June - - 54 34 18 69 63 20 26 51
July 43 48 49 43 - - - - - -
August 46 45 53 40 - - - - - -
September 42 49 50 43 Kinnock - - Owen
October 39 51 47 46 33 13 52 21 40 23

… the Government is running the country?
… Mrs Thatcher is doing her job as Prime Minister?
… Mr Kinnock is doing his job as Leader of the Opposition?
… Mr Steel is doing his job as Leader of the Liberal Party?
… Dr Owen is doing his job as Leader of the SDP?

1984 Gov't Thatcher Kinnock Steel Owen
  Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis
  % % % % % % % % % %
January 40 51 48 45 35 22 52 22 38 26
February 38 54 47 47 39 25 54 21 43 25
March 38 55 43 52 43 26 53 21 40 26
May 36 56 43 52 37 35 54 20 43 24
June 32 60 39 54 37 37 50 23 42 26
August 32 59 41 52 34 41 47 27 44 26
September 35 56 41 51 29 45 43 30 41 29
October 37 54 48 46 30 45 45 28 46 25
November 36 53 44 47 32 47 48 25 44 27
December 33 57 41 51 29 48 46 25 44 24

… the Government is running the country?
… Mrs Thatcher is doing her job as Prime Minister?
… Mr Kinnock is doing his job as Leader of the Opposition?
… Mr Steel is doing his job as Leader of the Liberal Party?
… Dr Owen is doing his job as Leader of the SDP?

1985 Gov't Thatcher Kinnock Steel Owen
  Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis
  % % % % % % % % % %
January 02-07 33 57 44 49 30 46 49 23 44 25
February 19-24 30 61 41 53 28 53 49 25 46 24
March 19-24 29 63 37 56 33 46 46 28 43 28
April 25-28 31 62 38 57 32 48 50 27 45 28
May 21-26 26 64 35 58 30 50 52 23 46 27
June 18-23 29 62 38 54 31 49 51 24 44 28
July 16-21 28 64 38 56 31 51 55 18 49 22
August 13-18 26 65 33 60 29 49 53 22 47 24
September 17-22 28 62 35 58 30 49 55 22 50 25
October 15-20 30 60 39 55 43 39 45 30 41 33
November 19-24 31 61 39 55 42 42 49 28 44 30
December 03-08 30 59 39 53 45 36 51 22 48 24

… the Government is running the country?
… Mrs Thatcher is doing her job as Prime Minister?
… Mr Kinnock is doing his job as Leader of the Opposition?
… Mr Steel is doing his job as Leader of the Liberal Party?
… Dr Owen is doing his job as Leader of the SDP?

1986 Gov't Thatcher Kinnock Steel Owen
  Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis
  % % % % % % % % % %
January 4-8 28 62 34 58 40 40 49 24 45 26
February 22-26 23 69 29 64 37 46 47 29 46 29
March 22-26 27 65 32 61 35 46 48 29 45 29
April 19-22 26 64 32 61 38 45 42 33 41 31
May 17-21 23 69 29 64 39 42 47 28 43 30
June 20-24 25 66 30 62 38 43 45 30 39 33
July 18-22 26 53 30 61 33 44 42 29 39 30
August 15-19 24 67 27 65 32 48 43 31 41 32
September 19-23 26 63 32 59 32 46 40 33 41 31
October 17-22 30 58 35 55 40 40 37 33 35 33
November 20-26 32 57 37 54 37 45 40 35 39 34
December 27-30 34 59 39 55 36 50 46 31 46 41

… the Government is running the country?
… Mrs Thatcher is doing her job as Prime Minister?
… Mr Kinnock is doing his job as Leader of the Opposition?
… Mr Steel/Ashdown is doing his job as Leader of the Liberal Party?
… Dr Owen/Mr MacLennan is doing his job as Leader of the SDP?

1987 Gov't Thatcher Kinnock Steel Owen
  Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis
  % % % % % % % % % %
January 23-28 32 58 37 56 37 47 45 27 42 30
February 20-25 33 58 38 54 30 53 42 33 41 31
March 26-April 2
 37 55 44 50 28 58 49 29 47 29
April 24-30 40 51 47 46 27 57 45 30 43 31
June 25-July 1
 48 43 51 41 36 49 36 42 35 42
July 21-28 47 41 54 38 37 47 37 39 34 42
August 21-26 44 46 48 45 36 48 29 47 27 46
  MacLennan
September 24-30 44 48 48 45 36 47 28 45 10 23
October 21-26 45 44 49 43 38 46 33 40 11 22
November 19-25 44 47 49 44 37 47 29 45 10 28
December 29-30 43 50 48 46 35 50 30 48 12 30

Satisfaction ratings 1988-1997
Satisfaction ratings 1997-present
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