For all the boats talk watch the economy too

Latest @Ipsos_in_the_UK economic optimism index has public at net -60. Only Gordon Brown at similar levels 13 months in.

Work for Labour to do. pic.twitter.com/t2vwtjEM4Q

— Keiran Pedley (@keiranpedley) September 9, 2025

British economic sentiment is following the US in becoming a partisan signal.

This has been true for decades, but the red-blue gap is widening (data: @Ipsos_in_the_UK / @keiranpedley). pic.twitter.com/LVmbZ81xvV

— John Burn-Murdoch (@jburnmurdoch) September 9, 2025

Longstanding readers of PB know how much stock I place in economic questions (for example it was Donald Trump’s lead over Kamala Harris last year that made me think he would win.)

Based on the first tweet Labour looked doomed if they don’t improve things, it should be noted this polling was conducted before today’s worrying economic news which saw the economy grow by zero percent in July.

What I find really intriguing is the growing partisan split on these questions which we see in America, I do not consider this a good thing we are replicating from our secessionist cousins over the pond. Economic perception is now more about tribal identity than actual economic conditions.

TSE