Burnham leading a country that most people feel is ‘going in wrong direction’

Aine Fox, Press Association Social Affairs Correspondent

Andy Burnham’s premiership begins at a time when four-fifths of people feel the country is going in the wrong direction, only half are satisfied with their living standards and confidence in the quality of the NHS has plummeted, according to polling.

The results show the new prime minister faces having to “navigate this highly fragmented, multi-polarised political landscape and rebuild some optimism for the future”, researchers said.

Standing in Downing Street on Monday giving his first speech as PM, Mr Burnham spoke optimistically of making this “the moment when Britain starts to believe again, the moment we bring back hope”.

But new analysis of recent Ipsos polling compared to attitudes 40 years ago suggests increased pessimism and a growing cynicism towards politics.

The pollster’s state-of-the-nation report, published on Wednesday, found 83% of Britons feel the country is heading in the wrong direction and major changes are needed – up from 55% in 1989.

Meanwhile, only a quarter (26%) of people nowadays believe that the best people rise to the top regardless of their start in life, otherwise known as social mobility, down from more than half (52%) in 1989.

While a higher proportion of people describe British character as tolerant in the latest survey (38% compared with 28% in 1988), there has also been a rise in those feeling it is pessimistic (31% now, up from 20% in 1988).

Only a fifth of those surveyed said they believe politicians are good people, down from more than a third (35%) in 1989.

Just over half (52%) of people said they are satisfied with their living standards, down from almost three quarters (72%) in 1988.

While a majority of Britons still said they supported a higher-tax system to fund better health services, the proportion has fallen from almost eight in 10 (78%) in 1989 to just over two-thirds (67%) in 2026.

Just a quarter of the public described Britain’s healthcare in 2026 as “good quality”, a sharp fall from 70% in 1986 in a statistic Ipsos said demonstrates “growing concerns over the state of public services”.

Gideon Skinner, senior director of UK Politics at Ipsos, said: “Andy Burnham and his team need to navigate this highly fragmented, multi-polarised political landscape and rebuild some optimism for the future.

“But this isn’t simply a question of more upbeat political messaging – they need to provide real, tangible improvements to people’s daily lives.

“Political leaders also need to engage in an authentic, transparent dialogue with voters about the difficult trade-offs that still lie ahead if they hope to turn deep-seated public doubt back into belief.”

Ipsos surveyed 2,576 people across Great Britain aged 16 and above between March 4 and March 11 2026.

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