Britain says privatisation has failed

Britain has concluded that utilities privatisation has failed. Nearly forty years after Margaret Thatcher sold off the pipes and wires, better than three in four voters said the experiment has not worked, showing rare unity across ages that usually fracture these debates.

The verdicts

The country also believes the UK’s financial sector has too much control over the British economy, with every generation from twentysomethings to pensioners landing within a few points of each other and yes prevailing. On Andy Burnham’s ‘good growth’ plan, voters treated the rebrand with the same weary scepticism they gave Boris Johnson’s levelling-up, rejecting it by two to one.

Should Andy Burnham call a general election if he becomes Labour leader? split the country almost down the middle, the youngest voters demanding the poll he has ruled out while the 45-54s backed his caution. Britain also said lowering inequality improves democracy in the UK, though the young and the oldest broke for yes while the middle-aged pulled the other way.

Is universal basic income the solution to increasing automation and AI? produced another near-dead heat, but the age pattern was jagged and counter-intuitive: the young mostly said no, the over-45s said yes. On compulsory voting with fines for non-participation, the young voted it down, their elders voted it through, and the coin-flip national result was really two electorates cancelling each other out.

Licensed reintroductions of native species like beavers proved one of the least polarising ideas in British politics, backed roughly six to one with over-45s and women closest to unanimity. Britain also said councils should spend public money on community-owned energy projects and that HMRC should increase enforcement to close the small-company tax gap, though both showed striking generational or gender splits beneath the headline numbers.

The country wants dog licensing for all owners by three to two, support rising sharply with age, and it backs relaxing planning rules to build 300,000 homes a year, with almost everyone under 55 in favour while the 55-64s turned against it nine to two.

Voting continues tomorrow.

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