The Coalition's reputation for economic competence is a wasting asset, according to research from the National Policy Monitor, based at the University of Essex.

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The study conducts monthly polling on attitudes to a range of government policies with around 1,000 people, in partnership with YouGov.
Responses from mid-2010 showed voters tended to rate the Coalition well ahead of Labour when it came to dealing with the financial crisis.

Almost half felt the government was handling the situation well, compared with around a quarter who felt Labour would cope with it.

But in recent months, the gap between the parties has narrowed and the end of 2012 saw government and opposition neck-and-neck on the issue.

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Notes to Editors

The National Policy Monitor is based at the University of Essex. Working with the polling organization YouGov, it conducts monthly polling on public experiences of and attitudes to the delivery of policy in national and local government, as well as in selected areas of the private sector. It covers a range of policy areas including health, social policy, income maintenance, education, security, defence, transport, the economy and relationships with the EU.

By carrying out monthly internet poll of around 1,000 people building on findings from earlier studies, the NPM aims to create a weather-vane on how the public is reacting to government initiatives.

The attached shows the relative performance of Labour and the Conservatives on the handling of the financial crisis since 2010/
For more information, please contact Fran Abrams on 07939 262001.