Both the Olympic Games and the Jubilee are expected to lift the British mood in 2012, but the British Future poll suggests Seb Coe’s Olympic spirit may just be pipped by Jubilee pride in the Queen, if only by a short head.
68% of people expect the Queen’s diamond jubilee to lift the national mood, while 64% say the same about the Olympics, according to the Hopes and Fears poll published by the British Future think-tank on Monday.
The South-West of England looks set to be the Jubilee capital for British bunting. 81% of people in the south-west say it will have a positive effect on the British mood, while 69% of Londonders agree. The average is 68% of people across the realm, with just 62% in Yorkshire and Humberside.
The poll finds that the Olympics are just as popular across England outside London. The West Midlands is the region most excited by the Games. 75% of West Midlanders believe they will boost the British mood, compared to 63% of Londoners.
Londoners (15%) join Scots (15%) in being more likely to say the Olympics will be bad for the British mood, while only 7% in Yorkshire and Humberside and 6% in the West Midlands say the same.
There is a positive mood about the events of 2012 across the nations and regions of Britain, including a narrow majority of Scots, where 55% say the Jubilee will boost the public mood and 50% say the same of the Olympics.
The Olympics does top the Jubilee in its contribution to global perceptions of Britain. 64% say they will be good for how Britain is seen abroad, and 8% negative, while 60% say that the Jubilee will boost Britain’s global image.
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