Political Monitor - Satisfaction Ratings 1988-1997

Published:1 April 1997
Fieldwork:1988 - 1997
Theme:Politicians & Parties
Sub-Theme:Satisfaction with Government / Party Leaders
1977-1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1997-present

Q3-6 Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way …

… 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/SLD/Democrats?*
... Mr MacLennan/Dr Owen is doing his job as Leader of the SDP?

1988 Gov't Thatcher Kinnock Steel MacLennan Owen
  Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis
  % % % % % % % % % % % %
January 22-26 40 50 46 47 33 48 23 51 9 41    
February 26-March 1
 37 53 45 48 35 49 24 50 11 42    
March 24-28 39 54 47 49 36 50 25 46 11 39 32 39
April 22-26 38 56 43 52 39 47 25 42 9 36 29 29
May 27-1 June 39 52 43 51 37 49 n/a n/a     24 42
June 22-28 42 49 49 46 32 55 n/a n/a     25 43
July 21-25 41 53 46 49 30 57 n/a n/a     30 33
  Ashdown  
August 18-22 44 48 50 45 28 59 15 19     27 39
September 21-26 38 53 46 47 32 53 19 23     31 37
October 26-31 40 52 46 48 36 51 21 24     30 38
November 25-30 37 56 47 48 34 55 23 23     29 39
December 28-29 41 51 48 48 27 61 26 26     29 39

*Asked as "Liberal Party" for Steel; "SLD" for Ashdown August-November, "Democrats" in December

… 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 Ashdown is doing his job as Leader of the Democrats?
… Dr Owen is doing his job as Leader of the SDP?

1989 Gov't Thatcher Kinnock Ashdown Owen
  Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis
  % % % % % % % % % %
January 26-30 38 54 46 48 30 57 23 25 30 38
February 23-28 34 57 44 51 34 53 26 29 36 34
March 15-19 36 57 43 52 33 55 23 32 31 40
April 20-24 32 60 41 54 33 52 24 30 30 39
May 18-22 33 59 40 54 38 48 21 36 22 48
June 22-27 28 64 34 60 41 45 18 39 22 45
July 20-26 28 66 34 61 38 49 17 41 22 46
August 17-21 31 62 38 57 39 47 20 41 22 46
September 21-26 30 62 41 54 39 47 25 37 24 46
October 19-23 27 66 35 60 43 44 20 42 22 48
November 23-27 28 66 33 63 42 44 26 37 27 42
December 27-28 28 67 33 64 42 47 24 45 24 52

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

1990 Gov't Thatcher Kinnock Ashdown Owen
  Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis
  % % % % % % % % % %
January 18-22 25 69 31 65 43 44 23 36 25 41
February 15-19 19 74 29 66 41 44 25 33 25 38
March 15-20 16 79 20 76 43 43 28 35 24 45
April 19-24 17 77 21 75 39 45 25 36 22 45
May 17-21 23 71 26 70 40 46 28 33 23 43
June 13-18 24 66 30 62 38 46 23 35    
July 19-23 24 70 30 65 37 50 27 38    
August 16-20 25 68 33 63 39 47 27 37    
September 20-24 25 69 36 59 41 43 38 31    
October 18-22 22 70 29 66 45 42 38 29    
November 15-19 22 73 25 71 42 41 37 30    
  Major  
December 27-28 31 62 37 22 37 51 37 34    

… the Government is running the country?
… Mr Major is doing his job as Prime Minister?
… Mr Kinnock is doing his job as Leader of the Opposition?
… Mr Ashdown is doing his job as Leader of the Liberal Democrats?

1991 Gov't Major Kinnock Ashdown
  Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis
  % % % % % % % %
January 18-21 41 49 61 15 44 44 40 27
February 22-25 34 56 63 19 43 43 45 24
March 21-25 30 62 58 27 39 48 50 25
April 18-22 32 58 59 26 38 49 49 25
May 24-28 27 64 49 36 40 48 53 21
June 21-24 27 66 50 34 39 47 49 24
July 19-22 26 65 53 33 37 48 50 23
August 23-27 32 58 57 30 38 49 48 24
September 20-24 31 59 57 32 33 53 52 22
October 18-21 30 62 54 35 41 49 47 27
November 22-25 29 63 52 37 37 50 50 24
December 27 26 65 51 39 33 55 45 33

… the Government is running the country?
… Mr Major is doing his job as Prime Minister?
… Mr Kinnock/Smith is doing his job as Leader of the Opposition?
… Mr Ashdown is doing his job as Leader of the Liberal Democrats?

1992 Gov't Major Kinnock Ashdown
  Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis
  % % % % % % % %
January 17-21 28 63 51 38 34 53 51 22
February 21-25 25 68 48 44 36 54 57 21
March 20-24 29 65 48 44 41 48 58 23
April 25-28 40 50 55 35 33 53 52 27
May 21-25 41 51 56 35 30 58 50 30
June 19-23 34 56 51 39 27 60 48 31
  Smith  
July 23-28 27 64 50 42 30 12 53 22
August 27-September 1 25 68 47 46 30 23 47 27
September 25-29 18 75 33 60 33 21 48 28
October 23-27 10 85 21 72 40 24 47 27
November 27-December 1 12 82 25 69 40 28 41 34
December 11-15 14 78 28 64 35 31 43 33

… the Government is running the country?
… Mr Major is doing his job as Prime Minister?
… Mr Smith is doing his job as Leader of the Opposition?
… Mr Ashdown is doing his job as Leader of the Liberal Democrats?

1993 Gov't Major Smith Ashdown
  Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis
  % % % % % % % %
January 21-25 17 76 31 61 34 36 42 33
February 18-22 14 80 28 64 34 35 43 29
March 25-29 13 81 26 67 37 35 42 32
April 22-26 17 76 27 64 37 36 45 30
May 20-24 12 81 21 71 33 41 50 28
June 24-28 10 84 19 73 35 42 50 28
July 22-26 12 80 19 73 36 39 50 27
August 19-23 12 80 21 70 35 39 50 25
September 16-20 11 82 20 70 34 38 48 27
October 21-25 11 82 23 69 41 34 47 29
November 18-22 13 82 21 71 39 36 46 30
December 9-13 13 80 24 68 39 35 43 30

… the Government is running the country?
… Mr Major is doing his job as Prime Minister?
… Mr Smith/Blair is doing his job as Leader of the Opposition?
… Mr Ashdown is doing his job as Leader of the Liberal Democrats?

1994 Gov't Major Smith Ashdown
  Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis
  % % % % % % % %
January 20-24 13 80 21 71 37 37 42 31
February 24-28 11 81 22 68 37 37 44 29
March 24-28 12 81 20 72 38 38 41 32
April 21-25 11 84 19 74 36 40 46 31
May 19-23 12 82 22 71     48 24
June 16-20 11 83 20 74     43 28
July 14-18 10 84 20 74 Blair 42 28
August 18-22 11 84 17 76 34 16 46 27
September 22-26 12 80 24 68 33 19 38 36
October 20-24 14 79 27 66 42 15 39 33
November 17-21 12 82 23 70 41 20 39 33
December 15-19 8 86 18 74 49 18 40 29

… the Government is running the country?
… Mr Major is doing his job as Prime Minister?
… Mr Blair is doing his job as Leader of the Opposition?
… Mr Ashdown is doing his job as Leader of the Liberal Democrats?

1995 Gov't Major Blair Ashdown
  Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis
  % % % % % % % %
January 20-23 10 84 20 73 46 24 36 33
February 17-20 9 84 20 71 48 22 41 30
March 17-20 11 83 22 70 51 21 38 32
April 21-24 9 83 22 69 47 24 38 30
May 19-22 10 82 21 70 51 23 41 27
June 23-26 14 79 28 64 53 24 41 31
July 21-24 11 81 25 66 51 24 38 30
August 25-28 13 79 26 65 45 28 40 29
September 22-25 14 77 28 62 45 29 44 28
October 20-23 15 78 28 64 52 26 41 28
November 17-20 15 77 25 66 52 25 42 28
December 1-4 14 79 28 64 51 26 42 29

… the Government is running the country?
… Mr Major is doing his job as Prime Minister?
… Mr Blair is doing his job as Leader of the Opposition?
… Mr Ashdown is doing his job as Leader of the Liberal Democrats?

1996 Gov't Major Blair Ashdown
  Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis
  % % % % % % % %
January 19-22 14 76 25 64 49 27 40 26
February 23-26 13 79 26 66 48 29 43 27
March 22-25 14 78 26 65 53 26 43 27
April 19-22 15 75 29 62 50 28 43 26
May 23-26 14 78 26 66 48 29 43 27
June 21-24 18 73 29 61 48 29 43 26
July 23-28 15 76 28 63 43 32 39 27
August 20-25 16 75 28 62 43 34 40 28
September 20-23 17 75 29 61 42 35 39 29
October 25-28 18 73 30 60 51 27 42 28
November 8-11 22 69 36 55 49 28 45 20
December 6-9 18 74 30 62 47 33 43 26

… the Government is running the country?
… Mr Major is doing his job as Prime Minister?
… Mr Blair is doing his job as Leader of the Opposition?
… Mr Ashdown is doing his job as Leader of the Liberal Democrats?

1997 Gov't Major Blair Ashdown
  Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis Sat Dis
  % % % % % % % %
January 24-28 21 71 31 61 50 32 43 24
February 21-24 21 70 34 58 48 32 44 24
March 21-24 23 69 32 59 51 29 49 21
General Election 1 May 1997

Trends since the 1997 election
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