New Conservatives

September 2023

Whitestone Insight interviewed 2064 UK adults online from 22nd-24th September 2023. Data were weighted to be representative of all adults. Download the full results here.

Survey Highlights

The policies tested each attract a lot of support from the public - especially, and perhaps unsurprisingly, from Conservative voters and older people. What they also show, though, is a substantial level of support for these policies among the young, and among Labour voters.

 

Replace current European system of human rights laws….

Net support – 54%

Net oppose – 27%

 

Reform Equality laws passed in mid-2000s…

Net support – 51%

Net oppose – 21%

 

Stop students who fail their A-levels from getting taxpayer-funded loans…

Net support – 60%

Net oppose – 22%

 

Cut tax rates by introducing tax breaks…

Net support – 64%

Net oppose – 16%

 

Halve number of visas awarded to migrant workers…

Net support – 45%

Net oppose – 36%

 

Introduce a legal right for parents to see Sex Ed materials…

Net support – 71%

Net oppose – 13%

 

Prevent schools from allowing children to change gender…

Net support – 54%

Net oppose – 24%

 

The policy with the most support was whether parents should have a legal right to see Sex Ed materials used by schools. Seventy-one percent overall support this, with only 13% opposing. This support increases to 85% if we exclude don’t knows.

 

The least popular policy is that of halving the number of visas for migrants, foreign students and families, with 45% supporting and 36% against.  This was also the least supported policy among Tory voters although 68% still supported the policy. The most popular policy among Tory voters was replacing the European system of human rights with new British rights laws, with 86% supporting and only 5% opposing.

 

Labour voters supported five out of seven statements overall, with the highest support for giving parents the right to see Sex Ed materials (67% support) and tax cuts (62% support).

 

Even on the two statements that had more Labour voters opposing than supporting, support was still high. Forty-eight per cent of Labour voters support replacing the current European system of human rights with new British laws. Forty per cent of Labour voters supported halving visas for migrant workers, foreign students and their families.

Read the full results here