新香港六合彩开奖结果

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New poll shows English are far more moderate about both past and future than culture warriors claim

23 April 2024

New polling from 新香港六合彩开奖结果Policy Lab and More in Common has revealed a country that is significantly more moderate and relaxed in its views than politicians who claim that the country is in the middle of a 鈥渃ulture war鈥 believe.

England two

A new survey, released on St George鈥檚 Day to mark the launch of a new book by Tom Baldwin and Marc Stears, , suggests a vast majority (78%) neither want to recreate their country's past nor forget it entirely.

Despite febrile recent debates and endless front page headlines suggesting the contrary, only 13 per cent of English voters said they would describe the Establishment as "woke" and just 3% thought that university professors were part of it. Instead, the top choices for having the most power and influence in the country today were big business (43%), the Conservative Party (29%) and the monarchy (23%). English voters viewed the NHS (62%), the police (42%), the courts and parliament (both 41%) as vital to the stability of England.

In a week when Keir Starmer said the Tories had 鈥渓ost any right鈥 to call themselves a patriotic party and added he had 鈥渘o time for those who flinch at displaying our flag鈥, the Labour leader will be encouraged by findings that barely a quarter of his party's voters felt even slightly uncomfortable about walking through neighbourhoods where the Cross of St George is on display.

Starmer, who is seen as significantly more 鈥淓nglish鈥 than either of his predecessors - Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn 鈥 may also find comfort that his favoured past times of watching football and going to the pub are well ahead of others such as cricket, even if these are still behind talking about the weather and drinking tea.

The survey showed most English people have a fairly good historical knowledge about their country鈥檚 history, although only a fifth of those surveyed knew St George was born in what is now Turkey, less than half knew William Wilberforce had campaigned against the slave trade, and there was widespread confusion about what rights were established by the Magna Carta.

More significantly, a majority of voters said they had either never heard of - or could not explain what was meant by 鈥 recent government policies designed to address the future of England such as 鈥淕lobal Britain鈥. But Levelling Up is better understood. Only 18% had never heard of the phrase and a clear majority know that Levelling Up aims to address regional inequality.

The proportion believing that immigrants can be just as English as people born here was matched by that believing they can鈥檛, but many more voters (45%) believe immigrants should have the same rights as everyone else than those who believe they should not (25 per cent).

The poll was released following the launch of the book by Baldwin and Stears. The launch brought together figures from across politics and civic society to the 新香港六合彩开奖结果Policy Lab, including cabinet minister Michael Gove and shadow cabinet ministers Ed Miliband and Pat McFadden. In his speech at the event, Stears聽invited us to explore and understand the messy beauty of England and to resist polarising and simplistic narratives.聽

England Launch

England: Seven Myths That Changed a Country聽by Tom Baldwin and Marc Stears is published by Bloomsbury, and you can preorder it聽.