LONDON, May 16, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Only 7% of British voters support taking back
asylum seekers who have crossed the Irish border into Ireland without a deal for France to take back migrants who have crossed
the Channel to the UK, according to a new poll from Lord Ashcroft.
The poll also finds that less than half of 2019 Conservative voters
are considering voting the party at the next election.
Findings from the research include:
- 50% of all voters, including 78% of 2019 Conservatives, agreed
that the UK "should refuse to take back asylum seekers who
have arrived in Ireland from
the UK until France takes back
asylum seekers who have arrived in Britain from the EU". Only 7% thought the UK
should take back asylum seekers from Ireland even if France refuses to take back migrants from the
UK. The findings follow news that 50 asylum seekers were returned
to the UK by Irish police after they crossed the border in October
and February.
23% of respondents – including 40% of 2019 Labour voters – said
asylum seekers should not be returned from either country but
should be able to claim asylum in whichever country they
choose.
- Less than half (41%) thought "concern for the plight of the
Palestinians" was among the main motivations behind
the university Gaza
protests. Respondents thought other motivations included
"joining in with other students regardless of the cause" (31%),
"hostility towards Israel" (27%),
"protesting against western governments" (22%) and "hostility
towards Jews more generally" (16%).
- Following news that Britain is
out of recession, 36% said the economy is starting to
improve but only 17% thought the government deserved credit for
this; 19% thought things were improving "but not because of
anything the government has done". 54% thought things were not yet
improving, including 49% who said this was "largely the
government's fault".
- "Higher taxes for people like me" and new
regulations that damage business were thought equally likely under
Conservative and Labour governments. Spending and borrowing more
than the country can afford was thought more likely under Labour,
and unexpected changes that cause disruption and instability under
the Conservatives.
- Less than half (49%) of 2019 Conservatives said they
were seriously considering voting Conservative again at
the next election. 31% said they were considering Reform UK, 20%
Labour and 10% the Liberal Democrats.
- 7% of all respondents (including 9% of 2019 Tories) said they
were satisfied with the Conservative government. 35%
(including 76% of those leaning towards Reform UK) said they were
dissatisfied but preferred it to a Labour government. 57% said they
were dissatisfied and would rather have a Labour government.
- Keir Starmer led Rishi Sunak as best prime minister by 18
points, up from 15 points last month, with 48% saying "don't know".
37% said Starmer and Rachel Reeves
would do a better job running the economy, compared to 22% naming
Sunak and Jeremy Hunt.
- Asking how likely people were to vote for each party at the
next election on a 100-point scale and including those whose
highest score for one party was at least 50/100, we found
implied vote shares of Labour 45%, Conservative 22%,
Reform UK 11%, Greens 8%, Lib Dems 8%.
5,485 adults were interviewed online between 9 and
13 May 2024. Data have been weighted
to be representative of all adults in Great Britain. Full details and data tables
are available at LordAshcroftPolls.com
LORD ASHCROFT KCMG PC is an international businessman,
philanthropist, pollster and author. He is a former Deputy Chairman
of the Conservative Party and honorary Chairman of the
International Democracy Union. His recent political books include
Red Queen: The Unauthorised
Biography of Angela Rayner; Going
For Broke: The Rise of Rishi Sunak,
and Red Knight: The Unauthorised
Biography of Sir Keir
Starmer.
LordAshcroftPolls.com//LordAshcroft.com //
Twitter/Facebook: @LordAshcroft
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