There's hope for the monarchy but it's nope to Sir Keir

IT WAS A year when Britain took stock.

- Kelly Beaver

But as 2025 ends after nearly 18 months of a Labour government, honeymoon optimism evolved into a more searching, sometimes sceptical national mood with definite hints of buyer’s regret.

One of the most striking findings from the last 12 months came from our Economic Optimism Index, which fell to its lowest level since records began in 1978, with a net score of -68 in April.

Three in four Britons expected the economy to worsen over the next 12 months, and just 7% believed it would improve — a bleak outlook not seen in past recessions, financial crises or even the pandemic.

This is bad news for Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer - both of whom sit on record low approval ratings because the cost of living continued to figure prominently in our trend tracker of what issues matter most to voters alongside immigration and the NHS.

Despite increased global threats, defence and security were not top of mind, rarely breaking into the top ten issues.

Nearly half of adults (48%) said there were no circumstances in which they would be willing to take up arms for Britain. Just 35% said there were situations where they would.