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Most of the public would rather have a closed Christmas than have a new lockdown imposed in January, a new poll suggests.
With the government considering how far restrictions should be lifted to limit the impact on Christmas family gatherings, Opinium’s latest poll for the Observer found that the public opted for a closed Christmas over the new January restrictions by a 54% margin. for 33%.
This split is nearly identical across party groups and demographics, with older voters in particular preferring to shut down during Christmas rather than January.
There was also strong support for banning people from posting conspiracy theories about the vaccine online, with 64% supporting the idea.
The public is divided on whether coronavirus vaccines should be mandatory, with 42% in favor and 45% against. Two-thirds (66%) of adults in the UK would take a vaccine if it were available and the government recommended it for people like them.
Opinion / Observer Survey: State of the Parties
Meanwhile, the country’s two main political parties switched places in terms of general support this week. The Conservatives lead by three points with 41% and Labor with 38%. Labor has dropped four points, while the Tories have won three. A trend continues since the summer that has seen neither side secure a clear advantage.
Keir Starmer has also given up his narrow lead over Boris Johnson as best prime minister. Two weeks ago, Starmer led Johnson by 33% to 31%, but now he follows by one point.
Nearly a third (32%) now approve of the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, up 1%, but the proportion that disapproves has dropped from 51% to 47%.
Opinium: Starmer approval ratings
Adam Drummond, Associate Director and Head of Political Polling at Opinium, said: “If you squint very hard, you can see the slightest hint of a story on both sides. For the government, the slightest vaccine rises with conservatives taking the lead again, while the percentage who disapprove of the government’s handling of the pandemic has dropped slightly, leading to an increase in their approval numbers.
“For the Labor Party, the impact of another round of news related to the words ‘Jeremy Corbyn’ and ‘anti-Semitism’ may have been the reduction of the party’s vote share and Keir Starmer’s ratings. While we can’t say whether this is because people are upset that Starmer withdrew the whip from his predecessor, or because people are upset that Labor reinstated Corbyn in the first place, the most likely impact is that the story simply reminds of the voters that Labor does not yet have their house in order. “
