Brits would prefer to drink alone than share a tipple with any of the political party leaders, the Greene King Leisure Spend Tracker has revealed. Of those surveyed, 17% opted for UKIP’s Nigel Farage, followed by 13% for the Conservative’s David Cameron and 9% for Labour’s Ed Miliband.
The Tracker also reveals that there are three clear political issues that matter most to voters. The NHS tops the list, with 24% of people saying it is the main issue that keeps them up at night, followed by the economy at 22%, and immigration at 15%. Indeed, the NHS is the second biggest concern for those who stated economy or immigration as their main worry.
Beaten by an empty chair!
Fiona Gunn, Greene King’s marketing director said: “Love him or loathe him, the Great British public have spoken and Nigel Farage is the leader they would most like to share a drink with. But, before Nigel toasts his success with a pint, he was comfortably beaten by an ‘empty chair’ as 41% of people would much rather not drink with any of the party leaders, suggesting a mixture of political apathy and General Election fatigue as 7 May approaches.”
The Conservatives will also take comfort from seeing that, contrary to popular opinion, the PM is the leader young people and women would most likely to go for a drink with. The report reveals 25-34 year olds and females would choose David Cameron as the party leader they would most like to have a drink with.
Key Highlights
- In March, the average British household spent £195 on leisure, down 2% versus the same time last year and unchanged compared to February
- Drinking Out increased 6% year-on-year, ahead of Eating Out which was up 5%. This is the first time Drinking Out has led the growth since the report began
- Other Leisure continued to decrease on a year-on-year basis, down 11%, although up 1% versus February
- Households in London and the South East saw spend on Eating Out decline 3% year-on-year while, in comparison, the Rest of Britain saw spend increase 8%
- The Rest of Britain also led the growth in Drinking Out, up 8% compared to a marginal increase in London and the South East of 1%
- When asked which party leader they would most like to have a drink with, 41% said they’d rather not have a drink with any of them, 17% of Brits chose UKIP leader Nigel Farage, followed by 13% for the David Cameron and 9% for Ed Miliband
- Three clear political issues matter most to voters – the NHS tops the list with 24%, followed by the economy at 22%, and immigration at 15%. All other issues were the primary concern of 6% or less of the population
Domestic leisure spend cut
The Greene King Leisure Spend Tracker reported a 2% decrease year-on-year in Total Leisure spend to £195, with no change compared to February. For the first time since the launch of the report, growth in Drinking Out spend eclipsed growth on Eating Out spend in March, up 6% and 5% respectively.
Fiona said: “Although the gap has reduced this month, we are still seeing households cut their domestic leisure spend year-on-year. This could be due to people choosing to spend on big ticket items instead, such as cars and holidays, and last month saw Gatwick and Heathrow see record passenger numbers as many chose to get away for an early spring break.”
Decline in leisure spending was driven by households in London and the South East. In fact, these households saw a particularly sharp fall in their total leisure spend, down 9%, or £22, while the rest of Britain increased spend by 1% of £2.
Fiona continues: “Most interestingly, the growth in spend on Drinking Out is the largest we have seen in the Leisure Spend Tracker and this month it even grew faster than Eating Out. As retail figures suggest, the high-street enjoyed relatively strong growth during March, so operators in these areas may have benefitted from passing footfall as shoppers looked to recharge with a drink during shopping trips.”