Monthly Archives: March 2012

Channel 4 Britishness Poll

Posted on March 25, 2012 by Clive D. Field

Although, as reported by BRIN on 18 February 2012, 56% of adults think that Britain is a Christian country and 61% that it should be, only 4% (and no more than 8% in any demographic sub-group, the peak being among over-65s) consider that not being a Christian stops people from being fully British. Continue reading →

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Loch Ness Monster

Posted on March 25, 2012 by Clive D. Field

Although 78% of Britons have heard a great deal or a moderate amount about the Loch Ness Monster over the course of their lives, only 17% believe that it is definitely or probably real, rising to 24% among Scots and 27% of Scottish National Party voters. This is according to an online poll into myths conducted by Angus Reid Public Opinion (ARPO) between 15 and 29 February 2012 among a sample of 2,011 adults aged 18 and over. Continue reading →

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Sunday Trading and the Olympics

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Clive D. Field

Chancellor George Osborne is expected to use his budget speech today formally to announce Government plans to introduce emergency legislation to suspend the Sunday Trading Act 1994 for eight weeks from 22 July 2012, during the period around the Olympic and Paralympic Games, in a move designed to signal to the world that Britain is ‘open for business’. Sunday shopping hours would thus be deregulated in England and Wales, permitting large shops to open for more than six hours on Sundays for the first time. No public consultation on the matter is mooted. Although the relaxation would be temporary, the Treasury has indicated that it will regard the suspension as an experiment, quantifying the economic effects of deregulation. Continue reading →

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Honour Crimes

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Clive D. Field

Almost two-thirds (69%) of young British Asians aged 16-34 consider that families should live according to the concept of ‘honour’ or ‘izzat’. The proportion is lowest among Asian Christians (62%) and Hindus (64%) and greatest for Muslims (70%) and Sikhs (79%). This is one of the findings of a ComRes poll undertaken on behalf of the BBC as background for a Panorama special on ‘Britain’s Crimes of Honour’, being broadcast tonight (BBC One, 8.30 pm). Continue reading →

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Western European Religion

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Clive D. Field

There is no real consensus of public opinion in matters of religion, according to a new multinational poll from YouGov@Cambridge, published in connection with a symposium on the future of Europe, held at the British Academy on 15 March 2012. … Continue reading →

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Gay Marriage and the Church

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Clive D. Field

The debate about gay marriage has become more charged during recent weeks, as the Government’s plans for its legalization in England and Wales approach the public consultation stage. In particular, there has been heavyweight opposition to same-sex (gay) marriage from … Continue reading →

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Religious Education in Schools

Posted on March 10, 2012 by Clive D. Field

Fewer than one in seven Britons believe that religious education (RE) should not be taught at all in schools, and the proportion does not rise beyond 24% even for those who do not belong to a religion or 28% among … Continue reading →

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Occupy London Impact

Posted on March 10, 2012 by Clive D. Field

Almost three-quarters (71%) of Britons believe that the Occupy London anti-capitalist campsite outside St Paul’s Cathedral, evicted by police and bailiffs in the early hours of 28 February 2012, did not achieve much or anything at all, against 18% who … Continue reading →

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Far Right Britons

Posted on March 10, 2012 by Clive D. Field

The negativity of far right political parties, and particularly the British National Party (BNP), towards Islam and Muslims has been reaffirmed in a new report by academics at Nottingham and Salford Universities which was launched at Chatham House on 8 … Continue reading →

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Faith on the Move

Posted on March 10, 2012 by Clive D. Field

Faith on the Move: The Religious Affiliation of International Migrants is an ambitious new study from the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project, funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the John Templeton Foundation. Prepared by the Pew Research Center’s Forum … Continue reading →

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