Britain has never felt more fearful or sad according to a survey that reveals a nation gripped by pessimism and despair. As the coronavirus pandemic shows little sign of slowing down while the impact on the economy accelerates, Britons are struggling to stay positive.
In a report to be published on Tuesday by BritainThinks, more than two-thirds of respondents report feeling pessimistic about the UK. Compared with its last survey in June 2019, happiness has dropped and an “optimism inequality” has taken hold, with the most affluent able to afford a sunnier outlook compared with those from the most deprived backgrounds, who reported feeling the most bleak.
More than 2,000 adults were surveyed and focus groups were conducted online from London, Bolsover and Glasgow at the end of September with a range of participants aged between 18 and 65.
Pollster Deborah Mattinson said the findings were a stark indictment of a nation badly bruised by the handling of the virus: “When BritainThinks first ran this survey a year ago, I was taken aback by the depth of pessimism. This year, it’s even worse. Covid-19 has cast a dark cloud on an already dispirited nation, but now it’s personal.
“People can feel the negative impact on their health, jobs, and lifestyles. This gloom is compounded by the sense that those in power cannot be trusted to solve the problems we all face.”
Only 29% of respondents feel a sense of optimism about the future of the UK, with a marked divide between the haves and have-nots: the most optimistic are the most affluent, Conservative males aged over 65 who voted leave in the Brexit referendum. The most pessimistic are female Labour voters from working-class backgrounds.
Overall, those aged between 45 and 54 appeared to be the most downbeat: 78% of this demographic were pessimistic about how the next year would pan out for the nation. When it came to their personal lives over the next year, this group was the most pessimistic about being able to afford the essentials in life (30%), the most pessimistic about career progression (54%) and the most pessimistic about physical health (38%).
The pervasive sense of uncertainty is causing significant levels of frustration and anxiety, with 71% of the country convinced that a second lockdown will be introduced in the coming months. More than half of the public believe a vaccine will be available in the next year but 68% think the government’s response to the pandemic so far has been shambolic and confusing, and 73% agreed that it was “one rule for the elites” and another for everyone else.
“I don’t understand why our government isn’t learning the mistakes from the first time,” said Shola Bode-Kehinde, 48, a floating voter who backed the Conservatives in the last election. “We are facing the same situation with not enough testing and PPE. The fact that this situation has revealed so many cracks in the system and the unpreparedness of certain sectors, I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing, but you hope governments can learn from the whole situation.”
The young are the most worried about their mental health; 34% of 18-to-24-year-olds are worried about the impact the next year will have on them, compared with just 15% of over-65s. Those from working-class backgrounds were more likely to fear mental health problems, with 35% reporting feeling pessimistic on the subject, compared with 21% from the wealthiest backgrounds.
“This is the next epidemic,” warned Bode-Kehinde, who works as a financial crimes consultant in Manchester and took part in the focus groups. “The mental health of the country will become a real existential problem,” he said. “We are walking into it. I don’t consider myself an outgoing person, I consider myself an introvert, but even for me [the pandemic] has felt like a prison.”
Surprisingly, perhaps, the sense of community has felt weakened, rather than strengthened, by the pandemic compared with last year, when the country was in turmoil over Brexit and the Conservative leadership contest; 32% of the public cite increasing aggression and rudeness during the lockdown.
The divide between the north and south has also felt exacerbated, with 70% of those in “red wall” constituencies agreeing that other areas in the UK receive more funding and investment, compared with 32% of London residents.
chart showing levels of optimism and pessimism
While only 23% of the public believe the pandemic has brought the country closer together, there are some green shoots of hope: optimism around the NHS has soared, with it being seen to handle the pandemic well and become more publicly valued.
Declan Clear, 31, who works at a university in London, said he tries to maintain cheerful spirits around his students – who he can only interact with online – and his partner, with whom he shares a small flat, for the sake of collective sanity.
“It’s important to keep the optimism up because without it, it will all come down on us and it’s a lot to be dealing with,” he said. “I just feel so sorry for kids in schools and students at university, because it’s depriving them of experiences that are essential to their wellbeing, to finding themselves really.”
Clear lost his uncle over the summer but couldn’t attend the funeral back home in Ireland due to Covid restrictions. He and his partner have had to postpone their wedding twice so far.
“I still count myself as fortunate,” he said. “It’s a tough time for everyone, I want to see life returning. I don’t agree with this whole statement that this is the new normal. It is not.”
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