In the online survey of a representative sample of 2,007 British adults, two thirds of respondents (69%) believe the UK Government should only use force against another nation with authorization from the United Nations (UN).

A majority of Britons (58%) think the UK Government should continue to be a global leader to solve international disputes, and a similar proportion (54%) support the policy of overthrowing dictatorships and change regimes if the Government believes they pose an imminent threat.

Only one-in-four respondents (24%) would consent to the UK Government relying on torture to gain information from terrorism suspects.

Voters who supported the Liberal Democrats in the 2010 General Election are slightly more likely to oppose torture and regime change than those who voted Conservative or Labour two years ago.

Britain and the U.S.

Compared to a similar survey of Americans conducted by Angus Reid Public Opinion earlier this year, Britons are more likely to support the use of force exclusively under a UN mandate (69%, compared to 50% in the U.S.) and hold similar views on whether regime change is justifiable on the face of an imminent threat (54%, compared to 48% in the U.S.).

A considerable difference is observed on the question related to the use of torture to gain information from terrorism suspects. This policy is endorsed by a third of Americans (34%) but only one-in-four Britons (24%).

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CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From March 21 to March 22, 2012, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 2,007 randomly selected British adults who are Springboard UK panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 2.2%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region data to ensure samples representative of the entire adult population of Great Britain. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

In the online survey of a representative sample of 2,007 British adults, 60 per cent of respondents describe the United States as an ally of the United Kingdom, and 25 per cent deem it a friend.

Conversely, only two-in-five respondents (41%) refer to Canada as an ally, and the proportion who feels this way about France (24%), Germany (24%) and Italy (20%) is considerably smaller.

In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, U.S. President George W. Bush declared: “America has no truer friend than Great Britain.”

More than half of Britons (56%) believe this statement was true in September 2001 and is still true today, including two thirds of people who supported the Conservative Party in the last General Election (67%) and more than half of Labour (55%) and Liberal Democrat (53%) voters.

Four-in-five Britons (81%) rate the current state of bilateral relations between the United Kingdom and the United States as “very good” (22%) or “good” (59%). However, a majority of respondents (56%) perceive no change in ties after David Cameron became prime minister. Conservatives (40%) do believe that the current state of affairs is better now than under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, but few Liberal Democrats (16%) and Labour supporters (9%) concur.

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CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From March 21 to March 22, 2012, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 2,007 randomly selected British adults who are Springboard UK panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 2.2%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region data to ensure samples representative of the entire adult population of Great Britain. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

The online survey of a representative sample of 2,006 British adults also shows that support for the Liberal Democrats has reached the lowest since the last General Election.

Voting Intention

Across Britain, 42 per cent of decided voters and leaners (+1 since October) say they would support the Labour candidate in their constituency in the next General Election.

The Conservative Party is second with 33 per cent (=), followed by their coalition partners—the Liberal Democrats—with eight per cent (-2).

The United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) is in fourth place with seven per cent, followed by the Scottish National Party (SNP) with four per cent, the Green Party with three per cent, the British National Party (BNP) with two per cent, and Plaid Cymru with one per cent.

Labour maintains sizeable leads over the Tories in the North (54% to 26%) and Midlands and Wales (43% to 35%). Labour is barely ahead of the Conservatives in London (42% to 39%), while the Tories keep a seven-point lead in the South (41% to 34%).

In Scotland, the SNP remains in first place (43%) followed by Labour (36%).

Approval

The approval rating for Prime Minister David Cameron remains below the 40 per cent mark for the second consecutive month (37%, -1). There was little change in the numbers for Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg (25%, =) and Labour leader Ed Miliband (31%, -1).

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CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From November 23 to November 24, 2011, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 2,006 randomly selected British adults who are Springboard UK panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 2.2%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region data to ensure samples representative of the entire adult population of Great Britain. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

The online survey of a representative sample of 2,003 British adults also shows that the approval rating for both David Cameron and Nick Clegg has fallen to the lowest level since the coalition formed the government following the 2009 General Election.

Voting Intention

Across Britain, 41 per cent of decided voters and leaners (+2 since September) say they would support the Labour candidate in their constituency in the next General Election.

The Conservative Party is second with 33 per cent (=), followed by their coalition partners—the Liberal Democrats—with 10 per cent (-1).

The United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) is next with seven per cent, followed by the Scottish National Party (SNP) with four per cent, the Green Party with two per cent, the British National Party (BNP) also with two per cent, and Plaid Cymru with one per cent.

Labour is the undisputed first choice for voters in the North (51%). The opposition party also holds a 12-point lead over the Conservatives in London (43% to 31%) and an eight-point advantage in Midlands and Wales (42% to 34%). The Tories are holding on to the top spot in the South of England (40% to 33%). In Scotland, the SNP is first (49%) followed by Labour (34%).

Approval

For the first time since he took office, the approval rating for Prime Minister David Cameron has dropped below the 40 per cent mark (38%, -3) and a majority of Britons (54%, +3) disapprove of the way he is handling his duties.

Only one-in-four respondents (25%, -1) approve of the performance of Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. While the approval rating for Labour leader Ed Miliband remained stable at 32 per cent, his disapproval numbers rose to 50 per cent (+4).

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CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From October 21 to October 23, 2011, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 2,003 randomly selected British adults who are Springboard UK panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 2.2%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region data to ensure samples representative of the entire adult population of Great Britain. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 2,008 British adults, 91 per cent of respondents think a similar situation—that is, widespread rioting, looting and arson in various cities and towns—could happen again in Britain.

Behaviour and upbringing are seen as the most important contributing factors to the riots (92%), followed by access to social media and other digital communications tools (83%), poverty and unemployment (74%), race and ethnicity (62%), and government austerity measures (55%).

Almost half of respondents (48%) think the courts have been “about right” in prosecuting people for their role in the riots, while one third (34%) feel the courts have been too lenient, and 12 per cent say the courts have been too harsh.

Politics and Social Media

Almost half of respondents (48%) approve of the way Prime Minister David Cameron dealt with the riots and their aftermath, while just over a third feel the same way about Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg (37%) and Leader of the Opposition Ed Miliband (38%).

A majority of respondents (58%) believe social media must remain easily accessible, as many law-abiding citizens use these services every day, while three-in-ten (30%) think access to social media must be controlled to prevent further riots from being organized. However, four-in-five respondents (83%) believe communications companies who keep data on social media users should provide this data to the police or proper authorities if it is requested.

The British public is mostly open to specific ideas that have been discussed recently to prevent further riots, including installing more security cameras in areas frequented by youths (84%), making it illegal for people to be on the streets with their faces covered (unless they do so for religious reasons) (80%), establishing curfews for people under the age of 18 in specific areas of a city or town (65%), and restricting the use of social media and other digital communications tools by minors (60%). However, the idea of forbidding minors from using social media and other digital communications tools altogether is rejected by 55 per cent of respondents.

When asked how old a person should be in order to use social media sites (such as Facebook, Twitter or Instant Messaging Services), 33 per cent of respondents believe that only adults should have access to these type of sites. In fact, 22 per cent of respondents would allow children between the ages of 12 and 14 to use social media sites.

Analysis

The public remains concerned with the possibility of new riots, but is placing most of the blame on behaviour and upbringing, and little on the government austerity measures. On this topic, Cameron appears to have connected with the population in a much better fashion than Clegg and Miliband.

Despite many stories related to the sentences that have been handed out for the people who took part in the riots, most respondents believe that the courts have acted adequately, and are more likely to have expected harsher punishments than to believe that prosecutions were too heavy-handed.

A large proportion of the public is also wary of any attempts to restrict or forbid the use of social media and digital tools, while showing a high level of support for more security cameras, banning hoodies and even establishing curfews in specific areas.

It must be outlined that the main proponents of tougher measures are respondents over the age of 55. This group is clearly more likely to believe that the courts have been too lenient with the rioters, and to call for a restriction on social media to prevent further riots.

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CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From September 11 to September 13, 2011, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 2,008 randomly selected British adults who are Springboard UK panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 2.2%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region data to ensure samples representative of the entire adult population of Great Britain. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

The online survey of a representative sample of 2,005 British adults also shows a drop in the approval rating for both Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband.

Voting Intention

Across Britain, 39 per cent of decided voters and leaners (-2 since July) say they would support the Labour candidate in their constituency in the next General Election.

The Conservative Party is second with 33 per cent (-1), followed by their coalition partners—the Liberal Democrats—with 11 per cent (+1).

The United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) is next with seven per cent, followed by the Scottish National Party (SNP) with five per cent, the Green Party with two per cent, and the British National Party (BNP) also with two per cent.

Labour is still clearly ahead of its rivals in the North (47%), holds a ten-point lead over the Conservatives in London (44% to 34%) and a four-point edge in Midlands and Wales (41% to 37%). The Tories are still first in the South of England (40% to 34%). In Scotland, the SNP now holds the support of practically half of decided voters (49%).

Approval

There has been no change in the performance rating for Prime Minister David Cameron since March, with two-in-five respondents (41%) saying they approve of the way he is handling his duties, and half of Britons (51%) saying they disapprove.

While one third of respondents (32%) approve of Ed Miliband’s performance as Leader of the Opposition, only one-in-four (26%) feel the same way about the way Nick Clegg is doing his job as Deputy Prime Minister.

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CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From September 1 to September 2, 2011, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 2,005 randomly selected British adults who are Springboard UK panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 2.2%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region data to ensure samples representative of the entire adult population of Great Britain. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

Prime Minister David Cameron presented the “Big Society” in July 2010. The policy calls for communities across the United Kingdom to take over responsibility for specific services and duties, such as local transport and libraries. The Government would establish the “Big Society Bank” and rely on funds from dormant bank accounts to finance community groups and charities.

In the online survey of a representative sample of 2,010 British adults, 37 per cent of respondents agree with the implementation of the “Big Society” policy, down 11 points since July. Disagreement with the policy is up by 11 points (46%).

In July 2010, more than half of Britons expected the “Big Society” policy to allow people to help themselves instead of relying on officials. That proportion has dropped by ten points and now stands at 43 per cent. A majority of respondents (58%, +4) continue to expect the policy to lead to more service cuts and jobs lost.

Last year, at least three-in-ten Britons thought that the “Big Society” policy would be a success for the voluntary sector, charity workers, and the Conservative Party. Now, only one-in-five respondents (21%) expect the voluntary sector to benefit from the policy, while two-in-five regard it as a failure for the Tories (42%), the Liberal Democrats (44%), and people in the UK (46%).

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CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Communications & Media Relations
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@visioncritical.com

Methodology: From February 15 to February 16, 2011, Vision Critical conducted an online survey among 2,010 randomly selected British adults who are Springboard UK panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 2.2%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region data to ensure samples representative of the entire adult population of Great Britain. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

In the online survey of a representative sample of 2,010 British adults, 40 per cent of decided voters and leaners (-1 since late December) say they would support the Labour candidate in their constituency in the next General Election.

The Conservative Party is second with 35 per cent (=), followed by their coalition partners—the Liberal Democrats—with 12 per cent (+3).

The United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) is next on the list with five per cent, followed by the Scottish National Party (SNP) with three per cent, the Green Party with two per cent, the British National Party (BNP) also with two per cent, and Plaid Cymru with one per cent.

Labour is practically tied with the Tories in London (38% to 36%) and holds a 20-point lead in the North (46% to 32%) and a four-point edge in Midlands and Wales (41% to 37%). The Tories are ahead in the South of England (43% to 34%). In Scotland, Labour maintains its eight-point advantage on the SNP (42% to 34%).

A Merged Coalition Party?

The survey was conducted at the height of speculation related to the possibility of the two coalition partners running together in the next General Election. Respondents were asked to reconsider their options in a campaign in which the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats ran as a single party. Under this scenario, Labour remains on top with the support of 45 per cent of decided voters and leaners. The joint Conservative / Liberal Democrats is second with 38 per cent.

Analysis

Support for the Conservatives has remained stagnant, while the Liberal Democrats managed to get back to double digits after a severe drop in December. Labour has solidified its position as the most popular party at the moment.

The prospect of a unified coalition party would be particularly beneficial for Labour in the North. The Coalition partners would be slightly ahead of Labour in London, but make little headway among particular demographics, with the exception of voters over the age of 55.

The main hindrance for the unified Coalition party—if it ever materializes—would be the patent disappointment from Liberal Democrat supporters. While the merged party would hold on to four-in-five voters who cast a ballot for a Conservative candidate in 2010 (83%), only one third of Liberal Democrat voters in 2010 (32%) would support a joint Tory/Lib-Dem candidate. In fact, almost half of them (46%) would vote for Labour instead.

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Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Communications & Media Relations
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angusvisioncritical.com

Methodology: From January 6 to January 7, 2011, Vision Critical conducted an online survey among 2,010 randomly selected British adults who are Springboard UK panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 2.2%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region data to ensure samples representative of the entire adult population of Great Britain. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

In the online survey of a representative sample of 2,003 British adults, three-in-four respondents (75%) say they are following news related to the student demonstrations “very closely” or “moderately closely.”

Student Demonstrations

Earlier this year, the British Government allowed Universities in England to charge students up to £9,000 per year to students who take their courses. An Angus Reid Public Opinion survey conducted in early November found that seven-in-ten Britons oppose the increase.

Major student demonstrations have taken place in London on 10, 24 and 30 November and 9 December. On 9 December, a protester climbed the memorial to Britain’s war dead, and a vehicle carrying Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, was attacked on Regent Street.

Respondents were asked about the feelings they may have about the student demonstration over tuition fees that took place on 9 December in London. Half of respondents (50%) feel sadness, while two-in-five feel shame (45%), disgust (45%) and anger (42%).

Police Actions

On 9 December in London, the Metropolitan Police used a tactic called “kettling”, which aims to contain a crowd within a limited area and aims at either preventing demonstrators from leaving or forcing them to exit in a manner determined by the officers on the ground. The demonstrators can be denied access to water and food.

Overall, a majority of respondents (53%) believe the use of “kettling” was justified on 9 December, while 37 per cent consider it unjustified.

Earlier this month, Home Secretary Theresa May said there is no legal authority to use the water cannon on the streets of England and Wales during student demonstrations. More than half of respondents (55%) think the use of the water cannon by officers during future demonstrations would be justified, while 36 per cent disagree.

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CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Communications & Media Relations
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From December 17 to December 20, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 2,003 randomly selected British adults who are Springboard UK panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 2.2%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region data to ensure samples representative of the entire adult population of Great Britain. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

In the online survey of a representative sample of 2,003 British adults, 41 per cent of decided voters and leaners (+1 since late November) say they would support the Labour candidate in their constituency in the next General Election.

The Conservative Party is second with 35 per cent (=), followed by their coalition partners—the Liberal Democrats—with nine per cent (-4).

The United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) is next on the list with five per cent, followed by the Green Party with three per cent, the Scottish National Party (SNP) also with three per cent, the British National Party (BNP) with two per cent, and Plaid Cymru with one per cent.

Labour now has a ten-point lead over the Tories in London (45% to 35%) and a 14-point advantage in the North (46% to 32%). The Tories are slightly ahead in the South of England (41% to 37%), while the two main parties are tied in Midlands and Wales (both at 39%). In Scotland, Labour is ahead of the SNP by eight points (42% to 34%).

The approval rating for Prime Minister David Cameron dropped two points to 42 per cent this month. Since the start of the new Government, the disapproval rating for Cameron has practically doubled, and is now hovering around the 50 per cent mark (49%).

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg’s approval rating fell to 31 per cent (-5). Britons are now more likely to disapprove of Clegg’s actions than to support them by a 2-to-1 margin.

The approval rating for Opposition Leader Ed Miliband also dropped two points and is now at 31 per cent, while two-in-five respondents (39%) disapprove of his actions.

Analysis

The last month of 2010 provides a sobering result for the Lib-Dems, following the student protests over the increase in tuition fees. The party has fallen below the 10 per cent plateau, and three-in-five Britons are now disapproving of Nick Clegg. The Conservatives are holding on to their base—with three consecutive months at 35 per cent—but confidence in Cameron continues to erode. For Labour, the first place showing does not assuage the low approval rating for Miliband, and shows that support is not particularly solid at this point.

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Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Communications & Media Relations
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From December 7 to December 9, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 2,011 randomly selected British adults who are Springboard UK panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 2.2% for the entire sample. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region data to ensure samples representative of the entire adult population of Great Britain. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.