UK gloom over hopes for economy

Only nine per cent of respondents in the Ipsos MORI survey expect an improvement in their economy in six months’ time, a figure only beaten by the French with three per cent.

Of the other G8 countries, people in Canada, Germany and the United States were the most optimistic, although even in these countries no more than a quarter believed there would be a strengthening in their economy.

Responses to the 24-nation online poll covered the month of July, when official figures showed the UK economy grew by 0.2 per cent in the second quarter of 2011. Sovereign debt worries in Europe were building while American politicians struggled to reach a deal on the country’s deficit.

At 10 per cent, the citizens of Japan, Hungary and Belgium were almost as downbeat as respondents in the UK, while people in Spain and Italy, where borrowing costs have risen on fears over debt repayments, posted 18 per cent and 13 per cent respectively.

The nine per cent figure for the UK compares with 22 per cent in May 2010 and 14 per cent in the previous month. A separate question asking respondents to assess their country’s performance showed 10 per cent of people viewed the UK economy as “good”.

Ipsos Mori director Bobby Duffy said: “Economic optimism is low around much of the developed world.”