Whose side are you on? Ideology and support for educational strikes in England

Abstract

Public support plays a key role in determining the success of strike action, particularly in the public sector where disputes affect taxpayers and essential services. This article examines public attitudes towards strike action by school teachers and university lecturers in England using seven waves of YouGov survey data collected between 2022 and 2023 (N = 3839). We analyse how demographic, socioeconomic and political factors shape support for educational strikes. Results show that political orientation is the strongest and most consistent predictor: right-leaning and Conservative-voting respondents are substantially less supportive of strike action than those on the left. Education level and age also influence attitudes, though to a lesser extent. Strikingly, parenthood has no measurable effect. These findings highlight the deep politicisation of industrial relations in the education sector and the strategic challenge unions face in mobilising support across an increasingly divided public.