Floods send the Government’s reputation underwater
While free-marketers say of an economy that ‘a rising tide lifts all boats’, ironically it is the reputation of the Conservative-led Government which has been battered by the floods.
As homeowners contemplate the daunting prospect of months and potentially years of clean-up, the headlines have turned to protests in Kiev, the phone-hacking trial and the Chancellor’s economic warnings from Hong Kong.
However, the question remains: how much damage have the floods caused to those in power? In last week’s Pollwatch we looked at perceptions of the Government’s response. This week, we turn to how the floods have impacted the Coalition’s reputation.
Although the floods presented an opportunity for Mr Cameron to appear like a rock of stability, almost two thirds of Britons (63%) say that the Government has emerged from the current flooding situation with a worse reputation for crisis management. Stark reading for a party basing much of its electoral strategy on competency against an opposition they say is reckless.
Base: All GB adults 14th-16th February 2014 (n=2,031)
Despite photos of politicians walking through water-covered areas in Hunter wellies, 61% disagree that the Government has responded to the flooding as quickly as it could be expected to.
Perhaps driven by the sheer length of the flooding crisis and the unrelenting news coverage, more than three in five Britons (62%) do not consider the Government and environmental agencies to have responded well to recent flooding across the country; a significant increase from 39% who said the same in January.
Base: All GB adults 3rd-5th January 2014 (n=2,047), All GB adults 14th-16th February 2014 (n=2,031)
But potentially the most worrying figure for the Prime Minister is that almost three quarters of Britons (72%) think that the Government does not appear to be in control of the flooding situation. Certainly, this will be disappointing for those wanting the Coalition to be seen as a ‘steady’ hand.
It is yet to be seen whether Government efforts to aid the clean-up, including meetings at Downing Street with insurance industry representatives, will soothe the concerns of distressed homeowners. The main issue for those in power is fixing the reputational leak sprung during this crisis before they sink.
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