Over half of Londoners say they would choose to live somewhere else
A YouGov poll has revealed that 52% of Londoners would choose to live in another region of Britain, while 48% say they would stay in the capital. The poll also found that just over half (51%) agree that you can only really enjoy living in London if you are rich.
Asked to choose three from a list of terms that describe what life in London is like, the highest proportion of respondents (65%) chose ‘expensive’, followed by ‘busy’ (43%) and ‘varied’ (23%).
In contrast, a concurrent YouGov poll of Brits living outside London found that the top three terms non-Londoners say best describe where they live are ‘friendly’ (33%), ‘beautiful’ (28%), and ‘expensive’ (25%).
Asked to choose two issues that are most important for the mayor of London to focus on, 39% of Londoners say tackling crime and 37% say addressing the high cost of living.
Londoners 'feeling the pinch'
Commenting on the poll, Joe Twyman, YouGov Director of Political and Social Research, said:
“Some may find it surprising that there is such negativity towards London from many of those who live in the capital, particularly coming so soon after the success of the Olympics. However, it is clear that the cost of living is playing on the minds of many, with nearly two thirds of Londoners describing the city as ‘expensive’. The fact that a majority say you need to be rich to enjoy living in London, and over a third say that tackling the cost of living should be a priority for the mayor are further indications that Londoners are feeling the pinch.”
Twyman will be presenting the full results of the poll today at the London Policy Conference 2012: Jobs, growth and urban renewal after the Olympics, hosted by IPPR and the Centre for London.
For more information contact YouGov PR Executive Harris MacLeod
See the full poll results here
And see the full original press release here
