Economic woes pushing terrorism off the agenda

Economic woes push terrorism off the agenda

Tuesday, 05, Aug 2008 05:28

Economic problems are pushing terrorism and health off the political agenda, according to a new survey.

July's Ipsos MORI Issue Index shows most Britons think the economy is the most important issue facing the country.

There has been a ten per cent increase in the number of people saying it is important over the last month, from 32 per cent in June to 42 per cent in July.

Significantly, it is the highest recorded level of concern about the economy since November 1992.

A quarter of people think inflation is an important issue and 15 per cent of people think petrol prices are important.

It seems other issues are dropping off the agenda as the financial downturn hits home. Concern about the NHS and hospitals has fallen to 16 per cent, a three per cent drop since June and the lowest level since August 1986.

There was an even more substantial drop for issues relating to terrorism, defence and foreign affairs. It fell five points from June to 15 per cent, the lowest record since June 2005.