Environment low on voters' agenda

29 July 2008 06:37pm

Environmental issues have dropped to the bottom of voters' priorities during the current period of economic difficulties, according to a recently published survey.

Immigration topped voters' list of concerns, named by 30% of more than 1,000 UK adults questioned by pollsters TNS, followed by tax (20%), crime (18%), and health (16%). The environment and education were each picked by just one in 12 (8%) of respondents.

As Gordon Brown continues to promote the green agenda through his Climate Change Bill and his plan for £100 billion investment in renewable energy, TNS UK managing director Andrew Czarnowski said the figures suggested the Prime Minister was out of touch with voters' true concerns.

The survey showed that voters rank Labour as the UK party worst for the environment, he added.

Mr Czarnowski said: "These figures suggest that the Government really needs to be turning its attention to voting issues closer to home. People know they need to be environmentally-friendly, but when it comes to choosing who will lead our country, there are clearly much bigger concerns.

"The 'green vote' is not going to win Labour another term - and social and political events of recent years appear to have had an impact on voters' priorities. It will be interesting to see whether the credit crunch weakens the environmental lobby further."

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