The minimum wage is a crucial economic policy in the UK, that works to reduce poverty, limit exploitative labour practices, and encourage employment. It was also originally a controversial policy, that was strongly debated in the 1990s. But since then, unusually for a progressive economic policy, it has become mainstream, and now enjoys extremely widespread public support. 

What is UK public opinion about minimum wage policy, and how has it changed since 1990?  How are people’s developing attitudes structured, in terms of their background and political stance? How does that relate to the presentation of the economy by the news media? My project uses historical and original survey data, supported by news content and in-person interviews, to provide an account of how public attitudes to the minimum wage have developed since the 1990s until the present day.