UK split on country's prospects in 2017, poll finds

The public expects Prime Minister Theresa May to have a good year in 2017. Picture: Justin TALLISJUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images

Some 45 per cent of people questioned by pollsters Ipsos Mori said they expected next year to be a good one for the UK, while 43 per cent said it would be bad.

But there was less doubt that both the European Union and the US are heading for a tough 12 months.

With Donald Trump taking office in January, some 59 per cent said they expected a bad year for America and just 28 per cent a good one. And expectations for the EU were even gloomier, with 18 per cent saying 2017 will be good for Europe and 69 per cent bad.

Also facing a difficult year, according to the people surveyed, are Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party - predicted to have a bad 2017 by 66 per cent and 65 per cent respectively.

Over half (51 per cent) forecast good fortune for Prime Minister Theresa May, against 35 per cent thinking she would have a tough year. And London Mayor Sadiq Khan was predicted to have a good year by 58 per cent and a bad one by just 19 per cent.

But the one group who British people appear to think are most likely to have a good year are themselves. Asked whether 2017 would be good for “you and your family”, more than seven in 10 (72 per cent) said yes.

Ipsos Mori head of political research Gideon Skinner said: “The public’s expectations of winners and losers in 2017 suggests they see little reason to change their current views of the political scene.

“Theresa May and Sadiq Khan stand out, although both outperform their parties - by a long way in the case of Labour.

“A week is a long time in politics, and a year even more so, especially with Brexit on the horizon, but Labour has a long way to go to win back the confidence of the public.”

Ipsos Mori interviewed 1,003 adults between December 9 and 12.