British Social Attitudes 27th Report | Our findings

What do you think?

Dec 2010 |

Every year the British Social Attitudes survey asks around 3000 people what it's like to live in Britain and how they think Britain is run.

You can buy the 27th Report, published in December 2010, here, purchase individual chapters from the last 11 years here, chapters from the 27th report here or download free chapter summaries below.

Do we still care about inequality?
How fair is the route to the top?
One school of thought?
A healthy improvement?
The evolution of the modern worker: attitudes to work
A tale of two crises: banks, MPs' expenses and public opinion
Resentment or contentment? Attitudes towards the Union 10 years on
Age identity and conflict: myths and realities
Post-war British public opinion: is there a political centre?
Exploring Labour's legacy

Do we still care about inequality?

There is high and growing concern about income inequality, with the public expecting Government to address this by shaping the opportunities available to people, raising the National Minimum Wage or even redistributing wealth. Download the summary here.

How fair is the route to the top?

More people think they have been upwardly mobile than think they have moved downwards and that meritocratic factors are the most important factor when it comes to a person "getting ahead" in modern Britain. Download the summary here.

One school of thought?

There is high public support for the broader curriculum introduced by Labour as well as satisfaction with the performance of secondary schools. But concern remains about the effectiveness of schools in preparing young people for work. Download the summary here.

A healthy improvement?

With more health service reform on the way, satisfaction with the NHS is actually at an all time high. Download the summary here.

The evolution of the modern worker: attitudes to work

Employee perceptions of employment relations, workplace governance and wages worsened in the 1980s and 1990s but have improved since then. Download the summary here.

A tale of two crises: banks, MPs' expenses and public opinion

The banking crisis has resulted in a catastrophic falling away in public confidence in the banks, with only 19% now saying that they think banks are run well, down from 90% in 1983. Download the summary here.

Resentment or contentment? Attitudes towards the Union 10 years on

There is evidence of growing discontent in England about Scotland's share of public spending and increasing support for the idea of an English Parliament. In Scotland, after three years of SNP government, there is little evidence of increasing support for independence in Scotland. Download the summary here.

Age identity and conflict: myths and realities

Those aged between 18-29 years old are more likely to feel discriminated against than any other age group, and are viewed more negatively than older people. Download the summary here.

Post-war British public opinion: is there a political centre?

Post-war public opinion is pretty much one-dimensional, and largely corresponds to what most people think of as 'left-right' issues. Download the summary here.

Exploring Labour's legacy

While attitudes to welfare have hardened to the right, there has been an increase in satisfaction levels with core public services introduced over the liftetime of the Labour government.