Poll finds Brits want NHS pay rise - but don't want schools open before September

Nearly nine in 10 voters polled think nurses, doctors and other NHS staff on the Covid-19 frontline should get a pay rise now.

And three quarters of those say it should be permanent.

A Sunday Mirror poll by Redfield & Wilton Strategies found 86 per cent of those questioned say our healthcare heroes deserve the increase.

Nearly three quarters of Britain’s voters say the country could have avoided having the highest coronavirus death toll in Europe.

And 34 per cent of those say Boris Johnson ’s poor leadership is to blame for the disease’s spread, although an overall 55 per cent think there was a collective failure by MPs, ministers, officials and scientific advisers.

Nearly nine in 10 voters polled think NHS staff should get a pay rise now (Getty)

The top three reasons people gave for the 22,000 deaths at care homes were the lack of personal protective equipment, too little testing, and not locking down the UK early enough.

Plans to open schools to some children next month are unpopular, with only one in five believing it is safe.

More than half think lockdown is being lifted too quickly and 64 per cent say Boris Johnson added to confusion over the new rules.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Getty)

Nearly one in four would be very nervous about returning to normal activities next month, and fewer than one in three of us would be confident doing so by September.

Half of Brits won’t be happy to resume their usual activities until newly confirmed coronavirus cases fall below 10 a day.

NHS workers clapping outside the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel (PA)

Nearly three quarters want the law changed so bosses have to give staff the option to work from home once lockdown lifts.

And more than three quarters would like to see videolink consultations with GPs continue.

Many think masks should be compulsory on public transport (Getty)

While 64 per cent say masks should be compulsory on public transport, more than eight in 10 reckon workers should be encouraged to walk, cycle or drive to avoid buses and trains.

The Queen and Rishi Sunak have improved their reputations with their responses to the pandemic.

More than four in 10 say their view of the monarch has changed for the better, while 51 per cent say the same of the Chancellor.

Redfield & Wilton Strategies interviewed 1,500 adults online on Friday, researching global health and governance.