June 19, 2008

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many people in Britain think the government should give equal attention to civil rights and threats when drafting counter-terrorism policies, according to a poll by YouGov. 41 per cent of respondents share this opinion.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many people in Britain think the government should give equal attention to civil rights and threats when drafting counter-terrorism policies, according to a poll by YouGov. 41 per cent of respondents share this opinion.

Conversely, 38 per cent of respondents think the threat from terrorism should have more influence on government decisions on this topic.

In November 2005, the Labour government’s original anti-terrorism bill was defeated in the House of Commons after a 322-291 vote. A revised version of the legislation—which allows for a 28-day detention period for suspected terrorists instead of the 90-day period sought by then British prime minister Tony Blair—was introduced and passed immediately following the conclusion of the first vote.

Earlier this year, Labour party leader and British prime minister Gordon Brown announced that the government would amend existing legislation to increase the time police can hold a terrorist suspect without charge from 28 days to 42 days.

On Jun. 11, the House of Commons voted 315-306 to pass the proposed legislation. 53 per cent of respondents think Brown was right to press legislators to approve the bill.

On Jun. 17, Brown defended his new security policies, saying that Britain cannot have a "head-in-the-sand approach that ignores the fact that the world has changed with the advent of terrorism."

Polling Data

In general which do you think should have the bigger influence on the government’s decisions—the need to protect civil liberties or the need to defeat the threat from terrorism?

The threat from terrorism should have the bigger influence	38%
Civil liberties should have the bigger influence	14%
They go together and should have equal influence	41%
Don’t know	6%

This week MPs voted for a new law that would allow police in exceptional circumstances to increase from 28 to 42 days the length of time that terrorist suspects can be held without charge. Do you think the prime minister was right to press for this new law?

He was right	53%
He was wrong	37%
Don’t know	11%

Source: YouGov
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,769 British voters, conducted on Jun. 12 and Jun. 13, 2008. No margin of error was provided.