Millions of Britons are gloomy about the economic prospects for the country next year
(Picture: PA Wire)Seven in ten adults expect Britain’s general economic conditions to get worse in 2023, a new poll revealed on Wednesday.
The Ipsos survey for The Standard showed 69 per cent hold this view, 14 per cent believe things will improve, 14 per cent that they will “stay the same”, with three per cent “don’t know”.
The findings come after the Bank of England warned at the start of last month that the UK was facing a recession that could last two years.
Energy bills are expected to remain high next year unless Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine ends.
Official figures, though, suggested last week that inflation may have peaked in October at 11.1 per cent, falling to 10.7 per cent in November, but it is still expected to remain significantly higher than the bank’s two per cent goal next year.
GDP rebounded stronger than City expectations in October, up 0.5 per cent, having fallen by 0.6 per cent after businesses closed for the Queen’s funeral and mourning in September.
Gideon Skinner, Head of Political Research at Ipsos, said: “Inflation and the economy have dominated public concerns for most of 2022, and amidst bleak official forecasts Britons have little optimism that their financial situation will improve next year either.
“Despite all the political change this year, pessimism has been pretty entrenched at this level since the spring, and this is feeding through into perceptions of the government with the Conservatives losing their lead as best party on the economy since the September mini-budget – and not yet being able to win it back.”
The poll’s findings are similar to the November results when 72 per cent expected the general economic conditions in the country to get worse over the next 12 months, and 16 per cent to improve, giving a net Economic Optimism Index of -56, compared to -55 now.
