Majority of Brits think Government’s message on easing lockdown is unclear, snap poll shows
Just 9% of Brits felt the government's message was "very clear" (PA)
2 min read
Only a third of British people claim to understand the latest government guidance on easing lockdown, a new poll has revealed.
The YouGov survey of 2,318 adults found that 33% felt the official guidance on relaxing restrictions was “not clear at all”, while a further 32% said it was “not very clear”.
It comes after Boris Johnson announced his “road map” for taking the UK out of lockdown in a TV address on Sunday.
The Prime Minister quickly came under fire for a lack of clarity in his exit plan, as well as the mixed messages from other members of the government.
Three days after the changes were announced, just 9% of said they Brits found the new government guidance “very clear”, with 24% claiming it was “fairly clear”.
Tory voters were more likely to understand the new measures, the poll suggested, with 56% saying the message was clear compared to 17% of Labour voters.
The findings follow days of criticism from opposition parties and the Scottish government over the Government's strategy.
There has been divergence between England and the devolved governments after both Wales and Scotland refused to adopt the Government’s new ‘Stay Alert’ slogan, which replaced the original ‘Stay at Home’ message.
Speaking on Tuesday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock rejected suggestions that the Government’s communications plan for its new coronavirus plan has left the public confused.
He said the public “really understand” the Government’s new guidance - and argued that concerns about its messaging strategy were “second order” amid the wider issues thrown up by the pandemic.
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
