Poll reveals what the British public think about striking workers

The Independent's Morning Headlines email [View online]( December 27, 2022 [Morning Headlines]( 1 / [Poll reveals what the British public really think about striking workers]( [Rishi Sunak]( has been warned that his “high risk” strategy on public sector pay rises could backfire, as an exclusive poll for The Independent showed strong public support for fresh [strikes]( in 2023. Almost two in three voters would back [NHS]( nurses taking more strike action next year if their pay demands are not met, the Savanta poll found, with only 24 per cent opposed. In addition, more voters expressed support for fresh industrial action by [rail]( staff, bus drivers, [postal]( workers and teachers than those who said they were opposed to further strikes. Some 65 per cent of those polled said they thought [Mr Sunak](’s government had handled the wave of winter strikes badly, while only 27 per cent thought the crisis had been managed well. Chris Hopkins, the director of Savanta, said Mr Sunak would find the polling numbers “concerning” given that public opinion is largely sympathetic to workers threatening to strike again in 2023. “It’s clear that the public are on the side of workers,” said Mr Hopkins. “While that doesn’t necessarily mean that the public think trade unions are blameless, they do believe the government is equally, if not more, to blame for [there having been] so many public sector walkouts.”   2 / [Former Conservative deputy prime minister calls for higher wages for care workers]( Exclusive: Prime minister already under pressure amid demands for higher salaries for nurses and paramedics 3 /[Man arrested on suspicion of murder after woman killed in Christmas Eve pub shooting]( Victim’s parents describe her as ‘light of their lives’ as two people are arrested in connection with murder 4 / [The Crown and EastEnders actor Stephen Greif dies aged 78]( Actor had an extensive career on stage and screen 5 / [Putin’s minister issues ultimatum to Kyiv as Zelensky eyes February peace talks]( Fulfil Russia’s proposals ‘for your own good’, Sergei Lavrov threatens Kyiv     The Big Question How did grumpy Doc Martin became a TV phenomenon? It was 2004 and [Martin Clunes]( was ready for a change. As the star of riotous Nineties sitcom Men Behaving Badly, he was still widely regarded as the face of floppy-fringed, shirt-hanging-out lad culture. But Clunes was eager to show a different side: to prove he could do serious as well as frothy. At which point Dr Martin Ellingham, an emotionally repressed small-town GP with a tight smile and a big heart, walked into his life. [Doc Martin]( had entered the building, writes Ed Power. “It was a leap,” Clunes would reflect of the character he has portrayed for the past 18 years and to whom he says farewell with a Christmas special on [ITV]( tonight (the series proper having wrapped in October). “I need something to act, someone to act, or something to pin someone on, rather than just open a script and a nice guy says some kind of nice things.” Doc Martin, the lovable weirdo into whom Clunes has breathed such glorious crotchetiness, was introduced flying from London to Cornwall, where he was interviewing for a job as a family doctor. He was also gawping at the lady seated opposite. The woman, Louisa, considered this weird and creepy. In fact, Martin – who’d packed in a glamorous career as a surgeon after developing a fear of blood – had detected the early signs of glaucoma in one of her eyes. One misunderstanding led to another, and now – nearly two decades on – Martin and Louisa are married with two children. [For the full story click here >](   Enjoying this newsletter? Unlock unlimited, ad-free reading on the website and in The Independent app when you subscribe – plus, benefit from our [welcome offer when you join today](. Watch/ [Polyamory, softbois, and sex on screen: These are Millennial Love’s best moments from 2022](   NUMBER OF THE DAY 55 One of the coldest Christmas storms in modern memory has left at least 55 people dead across the United States. Winter Storm Elliott’s icy bite saw temperatures plunge to record lows in parts of Montana, Pennsylvania Wyoming, and wrought havoc on Christmas travel plans. [Read more here](   QUOTE OF THE DAY “They regularly say that they are ready for negotiations, which is not true, because everything they do on the battlefield proves the opposite.” – SForeign minister Dmytro Kuleba said he was “absolutely satisfied” with the results of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the US last week – and that the White House plans to get a Patriot missile battery ready to be operational in the country in under six months. Usually, the training takes up to a year. [Read more here](     Other stories you might like   [King Charles notes ‘anxiety and hardship’ of cost of living crisis in first Christmas speech](   [Elon Musk reacts to bizarre comments by top Putin ally predicting ‘Fourth Reich’: ‘Epic thread!’](   [Passengers to face significant disruption around New Year, warns Network Rail](       Articles available exclusively to subscribers Jack Rathborn, The Independent -[What a year it was for sport – even if the backdrop was sometimes murky](   Other newsletters you might like [The Race Report] The Race Report Fortnightly, 7am (UK time) Written by Nadine White [Sign up]( [Inside Politics] Inside Politics Weekdays, 8am (UK time) Written by Matt Mathers [Sign up](   If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. [The Independent]( Join the conversation or follow us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's Morning Headlines newsletter. 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