Britain Backs NHS Reform and Public Utilities

Britain split almost down the middle on whether violence belongs to the left yet came together in striking ways elsewhere, with the country telling politicians to keep their hands off London’s mayor, hand public utilities back to the people, and borrow continental tricks to fix the NHS.

The verdicts

Should we reform the NHS so it works like the system in countries with better health outcomes per £ like FR, DE or CH? found two in three voters ready to move toward insurance-style models, even though the service rests on faith in tax-funded universal care. Should the British people have control over their own public utilities? produced an even clearer verdict: five to one in favour of public ownership, a margin that crossed every generation.

Should the GLA and Mayor of London be abolished? survived a scare, with the capital’s own devolution settlement saved by a narrower margin than the headline 56 per cent No suggests; youngest voters rallied especially hard to keep it. Should Keir Starmer be tried for treason over his immigration and cultural policies? was rejected by nearly two to one, the chamber deciding the word simply would not stretch that far.

Should film-makers prioritise diverse casting even if it breaks historical or cultural accuracy? was dismissed by better than six to one, an instinct against rewriting the past that cut across the generations that usually quarrel. Does the Right ownership majority control of Newspapers and media influence British politics too much? drew a U-shaped pattern, youngest and oldest converging on concern while the middle cohort held back.

On the mirror-image question Does the Right have a problem with violence? the answer was a narrow but telling No, delivered in the shadow of a former minister’s murder; most said violence belongs to neither side. Do acts of violence by left-leaning groups reflect an inherent trait? squeezed through by six points, the narrowest of Yeses, with age patterns hinting at generational memory rather than settled truth.

Should the UK have more Bank Holidays? produced a literal coin-toss, Yes prevailing by a single point in a debate that pitted lost economic output against the reality of longer working lives on stagnant wages. Should it be a requirement that all new houses built include solar and storage? won cross-generational support, roughly seven in ten in favour. Does lowering inequality improve democracy in the UK? passed on the back of strong under-35 backing that overcame resistance from the tax-and-spend middle cohort. Should the two-child benefit cap be scrapped? failed even in a chamber split down the middle, with no age group showing real conviction either way.

Voting continues today.

Have your say

Every verdict above was decided by people like you. See the full results →

Today's questions are already live. Cast your vote — or create an account and be counted.