Public support for Boris Johnson’s coronavirus response soars
Public approval of Boris Johnson’s handling of the coronavirus has soared in the past week after announcing a police-enforced lockdown.
A new ORB International survey has found that 67 per cent of Britons think the government has handled the coronavirus outbreak well – an 18 per cent increase from a week ago.
A YouGov/Sky News also poll found 72 per cent think Johnson has handled the crisis well, which is a 23 per cent increase from just a week ago.
The increase in support comes after the Prime Minister delivered a widely praised address on Monday night that placed the country in lockdown for a minimum period of three weeks.
Prior to that, there was some some criticism that Johnson was giving out mixed-messages in relation to the government’s covid-19 response strategy.
It also comes after chancellor Rishi Sunak announced further measures to support workers during the coronavirus crisis.
The chancellor announced on Thursday that the government would pay 80 per cent of wages, up to £2,500 per month, for the majority of self-employed workers.
This was in line with a wage guarantee offered to employees the week before.
ORB International’s managing director Johnny Heald: “I have been in the polling industry for more than 25 years and it is very, very rare to see such large changes in opinion in such a short space of time.
“In a multi-party democracy it is also rare to see such large numbers of the population approve of the way the government is handling the situation.
“Sure, people turn to their governments in times of national crisis but despite the government placing unprecedented restrictions on our way of life this week, four in five are willing to sacrifice more if it helps beat this pandemic.”