UK government has 'joint-worst approval rating in the world' for coronavirus response

8 June 2020, 21:40

Boris Johnson’s government has the joint-worst approval rating in the world for management of the coronavirus crisis, a new poll suggests.

Confidence in Downing Street to handle the pandemic is at rock bottom in the UK, the latest YouGov survey from 29 May says, sitting at minus 15 net points.

While 41 per cent of Brits feel the UK government is managing it well, 56 per cent feel minsters are mishandling it.

The figure has plummeted by nine points in the past week from minus six.

It means that Donald Trump's administration fares better, at minus 12 points, with 41 per cent of Americans viewing the president’s management positively against 53 per cent opposed.

This is despite the US suffering by far the highest coronavirus death toll in the world at nearly 110,000.

Britain’s recorded fatalities linked to Covd-19 are the second worst, at 40,597, following a rise of 55 on Monday - the lowest daily jump since before lockdown began on 23 March.

The real figure is likely to be more than 50,000 as many are believed to have died with coronavirus in the community without a positive test.

The polling blow comes as the government’s quarantine on UK arrivals began on Monday despite heavy criticism from across the political spectrum and aviation chiefs, with the boss of budget airline Ryanair branding it a “political stunt”.

The PM is preparing to ease lockdown further from next week with non-essential shops and places of worship allowed to reopen on 15 June.

Reopening pub beer gardens two weeks earlier than planned, on 22 June, is thought to be among the plans to be discussed at tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting.

The UK has seen a rise in those who view the coronavirus situation as getting better, standing at 76 per cent on 29 May, up from 63 per cent at the start of last month.

The poll also found just 21 per cent of Brits say they wear a face mask, against 85 per cent in Italy, 86 per cent in Spain and 92 per cent in Singapore.

However this may increase ahead of the mandatory face mask rule on public transport coming into force from 15 June.

Of those governments that performed well, Vietnam enjoyed the highest approval rating, at plus 95, followed by Taiwan and Malaysia on plus 87.

There has been a notable uptick in France, where the net score has risen from minus 22 last week to minus 9 this week, the highest it has been since March.

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