Most of us want to see public ownership across a range of public services, from water to energy, from the NHS to the Royal Mail.
Polling clearly shows that public ownership is very popular. Support remains consistent from the last general election in 2024, having grown substantially since 2017.
According to the latest poll conducted by YouGov in May 2026, "Majorities of those who voted for all five of the major parties at the last general election support water companies, railway operators, the Royal Mail, energy providers and bus companies being run in the public sector."
Buses
- 67% want buses in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 77% of people who voted Labour in the 2024 general election want buses in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 56% of people who voted Conservative in the 2024 general election want buses in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 75% of people who voted Liberal Democrat in the 2024 general election want buses in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 60% of people who voted Reform in the 2024 general election want buses in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 76% of people who voted Green in the 2024 general election want buses in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
Care
- 64% want care homes in public ownership (Survation, 2020)
- 61% think private care providers prioritise profit over delivering a high quality service (Survation, 2020)
Council services
- 55% want to see more services run in-house by councils (Survation, 2017)
- 61% of the public think that local and central government should try to run services in-house first – before outsourcing (Survation, 2015)
- 80% believe that when a public service is put out to tender, there should always be an in-house bid (Survation, 2013)
- 64% distrust outsourcing companies, while only 21% trust them - compared to NHS (79%), the police (65%) and the armed forces (79%) (Survation, 2014)
Education
Energy
- 70% want energy in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 79% of people who voted Labour in the 2024 general election want energy in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 59% of people who voted Conservative in the 2024 general election want energy in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 74% of people who voted Liberal Democrat in the 2024 general election want energy in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 68% of people who were intending to vote Reform in the 2024 general election want energy in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 80% of people who voted Green in the 2024 general election want energy in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
National assets
NHS
- 86% want the NHS in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 65% of the public would not feel comfortable using GP services provided by a private company like Atos, Capita, G4S or Serco (Survation, 2014)
- 74% want hospitals in public ownership (YouGov, 2015)
- 77% of the public believe the NHS should be maintained in its current form. This level of support has remained consistent over almost two decades despite widespread social, economic and political change. (KingsFund, 2017)
- 90% of people support the founding principles of the NHS, indicating that these principles are just as relevant today as when the NHS was established. (KingsFund, 2017)
- 91% of people who voted Labour in the 2024 general election want NHS in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 84% of people who voted Conservative in the 2024 general election want NHS in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 94% of people who were voted Liberal Democrat in the 2024 general election want NHS in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 79% of people who voted Reform in the 2024 general election want NHS in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 97% of people who voted Green in the 2024 general election want energy in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
Parks
Prisons
- 62% want prisons in public ownership (YouGov, 2015)
- 28% of people think it is appropriate for private companies to run prisons
- 25% think it is appropriate for private companies to provide court services (Survation, 2014)
Rail
- 76% want the railways in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 85% of people who voted Labour in the 2024 general election want rail companies in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 67% of people who voted Conservative in the 2024 general election want rail companies in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 85% of people who voted Liberal Democrat in the 2024 general election want rail companies in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 66% of people who voted Reform in the 2024 general election want rail companies in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 87% of people who voted Green in the 2024 general election want energy in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 59% want public ownership of Network Rail (Survation, 2015)
Royal Mail
- 76% want Royal Mail in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 83% of people who voted Labour in the 2024 general election want Royal Mail in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 72% of people who voted Conservative in the 2024 general election want Royal Mail in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 77% of people who voted Liberal Democrat in the 2024 general election want Royal Mail in public ownership (YouGov, 2024)
- 68% of people who voted Reform in the 2024 general election want Royal Mail in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 92% of people who voted Green in the 2024 general election want Royal Mail in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
Water
- 82% want water in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 89% of people who voted Labour in the 2024 general election want water in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 80% of people who voted Conservative in the 2024 general election want water in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 89% of people who voted Liberal Democrat in the 2024 general election want water in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 78% of people who voted Reform in the 2024 general election want water in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
- 91% of people who voted Green in the 2024 general election want water in public ownership (YouGov, 2026)
Photo credit: Garry Knight
