What do Britons Really Think About the Economy? | IEA Interview
From IEA Podcast by Institute of Economic Affairs
April 13, 2026 · 22 min
About this episode
Matthew Lesch discusses public sentiment towards the economy in Britain and the disconnect between wanting growth and believing it will benefit individuals.
Britain wants growth. 87% of the public support it, cutting across age, income, and political affiliation. But there is a catch: most people do not believe they will ever actually see the benefits. While nine in ten expect big corporations and the wealthy to gain from a growing economy, barely half think it will improve their own lives. That gap between wanting growth and trusting it explains almost everything about British politics right now. Matthew Lesch, public policy fellow and country manager at Freshwater Strategy, joins the IEA podcast to walk through a major new polling project of 3,000 people and a series of focus groups. The findings are striking. Two thirds of Britons think the country is heading in the wrong direction. Most believe their living standards are lower than their parents’. And when asked where the UK would rank if it were a US state by income per capita, the average guess was seventh. The real answer is 51st. What does the public actually want? Lower energy bills, tax cuts for workers, more housing, and public services that work. Not ideology, not abstract GDP targets, just tangible improvements to daily life. Lesch breaks down the six political tribes…
People in this episode
Host: Institute of Economic Affairs
Guest: Matthew Lesch
Topics covered
- public opinion
- economic growth
- political tribes
- living standards
- polling
- public policy
Keywords
- Britons
- economy
- polling project
- living standards
- political opinion
- growth
- tax cuts
- public services
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Institute of Economic Affairs, Freshwater Strategy
Places: Britain, UK, US
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