What do we know about voter attitudes from CaSE research?

Those who intend to vote Green are least likely to agree that working people get their fair share of the nation’s wealth (15% compared with 40% of those intending to vote Conservative), while those who intend to vote Reform UK are most likely to agree that the UK is a country in decline (82% compared with 41% of those intending to vote Labour).

Those who intend to vote Labour were more likely to say their area was thriving or doing fairly well (56%) than those who would vote Reform UK (27%).

Nationally, the top three issues are improving the NHS, reducing the cost of living and growing the economy. Each of these three issues are represented in the top five issues of four voter groups, with the exception those intending to vote Green, where the economy doesn’t feature. Reducing immigration is second, and reducing crime third, among those intending to vote Reform.

Self-reported awareness of “R&D” is slightly higher among those who intend to vote Lib Dem, Labour and Conservative; those who say they would not vote have the lowest awareness of both “R&D” and “research and development”.

The organisations most often associated with R&D are the NHS, the UK government and universities in the UK. Compared with the national average, Lib Dems appear more likely to see associations with most groups.

Those who intend to vote Reform and those who don’t intend to vote are less likely to be immediately able to think of at least some ways that R&D benefits them and their family, at 39% and 35% respectively. This is compared with those intending to vote Labour (66%) and Conservative (55%).

Those who intend to vote Reform are less likely to agree that they feel connected to R&D (19%, compared with the highest proportion of 46% among those who intend to vote Labour); less likely to say R&D is relevant to their lives (32% compared with the highest proportion of 59% of those who intend to vote Labour); and less likely to say the Government should use R&D as a tool to solve society’s problems (59% compared with the highest proportion of 78% of those who intend to vote Labour).

Those who intend to vote Reform or Green are less likely to think that R&D benefits everyone in the country, or that R&D activity is spread fairly evenly across the country, than the national average.

Those intending to vote Reform or Green are less likely to feel connected to their local area than those intending to vote Conservative or Labour.

Just over half (55%) of those who intend to vote Reform say they know nothing about the R&D being done in their area.

Those intending to vote Labour or Green were the most likely to say they would like to hear more from researchers about the R&D happening in their area (80% and 77%, respectively), but there is majority interest from all groups, with a national average of 70%.

Those intending to vote Labour are the most supportive of proposals to build a new business park, R&D lab or science museum in their local area. Those intending to vote Reform are among the least supportive of a new R&D lab or a science museum.

Those intending to vote Labour are more likely to say the UK is a world leader in R&D, and that the UK should aim to be one.

A majority of all groups think it is at least somewhat important for the Government to invest in R&D, with this view being held most strongly by those intending to vote Labour (93%) and least – although still a strong majority – by those intending to vote Reform (83%) and those who would not vote (75%).

Support for increasing or maintaining current R&D spend is higher among those who intend to vote Labour (82%), Liberal Democrat (78%), Green (78%) and Conservative (76%) and lower – but still at two thirds – among those intending to vote Reform (67%) and lowest among those who say they would not vote (51%).

Those who intend to vote Reform are slightly more likely to say that “we should only invest in R&D when the country is doing better” (31%, compared with the national average of 24%) and that “R&D should only be funded if it can deliver results right now” (29% compared with the national average of 24%).

Those who intend to vote Labour are slightly more likely to say that “failure in R&D is unacceptable” (25% compared with a national average of 22%) .

A majority of all groups except those who say they would not vote (where 48% agree) agree that private sector investment has an important role to play in UK R&D.

For every group, around half of people think that there should be an even mix of fundamental and applied research in UK R&D, with the lowest among those who intend to vote Labour, at 47%. Every group then skews towards applied research, being highest among Labour voters.

Those intending to vote Labour are the most likely to have done any, and to have done more, of a list of R&D related activities in the past 12 months, while those who intend to Reform UK are least like to have done any. The same pattern is true when asked what activities they would like to do in the next year.

There is broad support for the public being more involved and engaged in R&D, with a majority of each group agreeing with all options given.

• Support for knowing more about how taxpayers’ money is spent on R&D is at or above 80% for all groups except those who would not vote.
• Labour, Green and Lib Dems are more likely than the national average to think researchers should engage more with the public about the social and ethical implications of their research.

There was generally more interest in being personally involved at different stages of the research process among those who intend to vote Green and less from those who intend to vote Reform or would not vote.

Of the five main UK-based parties, those intending to vote Labour tend to trust all messengers more than the national average, whether this is to talk about R&D or to be honest about how much the Government should invest in R&D.

When looking at trust to talk about investment in R&D, those intending to vote Reform UK tend to trust all groups less than the national average, although their views are notably closer to that average for large businesses and higher than average for family and friends.

Levels of distrust in researchers to talk about R&D, and to be honest about how much money the Government should invest in R&D, are higher among those who intend to vote for Reform and those would not vote.