Britain Today

Questions about happiness, worries, voting intention, Britain and being British, society, public services, perception of party leaders, sentencing/ punishment for crimes and spiritual beliefs.
  • MORI interviewed 1,001 adults aged 18+ by telephone on between 12-17 January 2006.
  • Data are weighted to match the profile of the population.
  • Where percentages do not sum to 100, this may be due to computer rounding, the exclusion of "don't know" categories, or multiple answers.
  • Throughout the volume, an asterisk (*) denotes any value of less than half a per cent.
  • "Sun readers" figures are based on 279 Sun readers who read The Sun at least once a week. These figures are shaded gray.

Q1 In general, how happy or unhappy are you with your life at present?

  All Sun Readers
  % %
Very happy 39 39
Fairly happy 46 48
Neither happy nor unhappy 6 6
Fairly unhappy 5 5
Very unhappy 2 2
Don't know / no opinion 1 *
 
Happy 85 87
Unhappy 7 7
Net happy +78 +80

Q2/3 How would you vote if there were a General Election tomorrow? Which party are you most inclined to support? Base All absolutely certain to vote (54%)

  Q2A/B
  %
Conservative 39
Labour 39
Liberal Democrats (Lib Dem) 15
Scottish/Welsh Nationalist 2
Green Party 3
UK Independence Party 1
Other 2
 
Lab lead (177 %) 0
 
Would not vote 1
Undecided 5
Refused 2

Q4-Q29 I am going to read out some things that some people worry about these days, and I would like you tell me to what extent, if at all, you have worried about each one in the last 2-3 weeks. For each, please tell me if you have worried about them a great deal, a fair amount, a little or not at all.

    A great deal A fair amount A little Not at all Does not apply Don't know
    % % % % % %
Q4 Not having enough money All 24 21 22 32 1 *
Sun readers 30 26 18 25 1 0
Q5 The education of children All 26 25 18 26 4 *
Sun readers 29 25 16 26 3 0
Q6 Unemployment of yourself or members of your family All 13 16 18 48 5 *
Sun readers 18 18 15 46 2 *
Q7 Your health or your family's health All 22 27 25 26 * 0
Sun readers 28 27 20 25 0 0
Q8 Your children All 21 16 15 20 28 0
Sun readers 25 14 11 19 31 0
Q9 Relations with your husband / wife or boyfriend / girlfriend All 8 8 12 53 19 *
Sun readers 9 11 11 54 14 0
Q10 How things are going at work All 9 14 16 26 36 0
Sun readers 6 15 17 34 27 0
Q11 Growing old All 8 14 24 52 1 *
Sun readers 8 15 19 57 1 0
Q12 Vandalism or crime in your area All 19 24 28 28 1 *
Sun readers 23 27 25 24 1 0
Q13 People behaving in a way that is a nuisance or disrespectful to other people All 30 30 24 15 1 *
Sun readers 32 29 24 15 0 *
Q14 The hospital "superbug" MRSA All 22 22 22 33 1 1
Sun readers 22 22 22 31 1 2
Q15 Bird flu All 9 19 28 43 1 *
Sun readers 10 22 24 44 * *
Q16 Trouble between people of different races or religions All 16 24 24 35 * *
Sun readers 15 22 18 43 * *
Q17 The risk of terrorism All 16 23 26 33 0 1
Sun readers 21 23 20 34 0 1
Q18 Truancy from schools All 10 15 18 51 6 *
Sun readers 11 20 17 49 2 0
Q19 Having a choice of hospitals if I need medical treatment All 13 20 15 51 1 1
Sun readers 16 23 13 47 0 1
Q20 Your pensions All 15 16 18 47 4 *
Sun readers 15 17 12 50 5 *
Q21 Drug culture All 24 26 19 30 1 *
Sun readers 22 27 20 30 1 0
Q22 Underage sex All 16 15 18 48 2 *
Sun readers 16 19 17 44 3 *
Q23 Too much casual sex between adults All 8 9 14 66 3 1
Sun readers 7 8 15 67 3 0
Q24 Binge drinking All 14 18 20 45 3 *
Sun readers 12 16 18 51 1 1
Q25 Binge eating All 6 12 16 64 2 *
Sun readers 6 15 17 59 3 0
Q26 Gambling All 4 5 12 73 5 *
Sun readers 5 7 12 71 4 0
Q27 Your personal freedom or civil liberties All 14 16 18 51 * *
Sun readers 11 18 19 51 0 *
Q28 Protecting children from pornography on the Internet All 38 22 16 20 3 *
Sun readers 46 22 14 16 2 0
Q29 Protecting children from contact with paedophiles in Internet "chatrooms" All 44 20 15 17 2 1
Sun readers 55 18 12 13 1 1

Q30-Q37 Do you agree or disagree with each of the following?

    Agree Disagree Don't know Net agree
    % % % %
Q30 "When British teams do well in international competitions, such as sporting events, it makes me proud" All 83 15 2 +68
Sun readers 89 9 2 +80
Q31 "The British police are among the best in the world" All 72 20 8 +52
Sun readers 73 22 5 +51
Q32 "Britain's National Health Service is one of the best in the world" All 59 33 7 +26
Sun readers 57 39 4 +18
Q33 "British politicians are among the least corrupt in the world" All 44 41 15 +3
Sun readers 37 50 13 -13
Q34 "I am proud of the British Monarchy" All 61 33 7 +28
Sun readers 60 34 6 +26
Q35 "The British armed forces are among the best in the world" All 87 7 7 +80
Sun readers 90 6 4 +84
Q36 "The British transport system is one of the best in the world" All 22 71 7 -49
Sun readers 24 70 6 -46
Q37 "Britain has some of the best newspapers in the world" All 63 21 16 +42
Sun readers 72 18 10 +54

Q38 And do you agree or disagree that "To be truly British you have to be White"?

  All Sun Readers
  % %
Agree 7 9
Disagree 91 91
Neither / Don't know 2 1
Net agree -84 -82

Q39-41 People have different views about the ideal society. For each of these pairs of statements, please tell me which one comes closest to your ideal.

  All Sun Readers
  % %
Q39 A society which emphasises the social and collective provision of welfare 48 47
OR a society where individuals are encouraged to look after themselves 46 48
No opinion 6 5
 
Q40 A society which allows people to make and keep as much money as they can 46 46
OR a society which emphasises similar incomes and rewards for everyone 48 50
No opinion 6 4
 
Q41 A country in which the schools provide children with a wide-ranging general education 68 66
OR a country in which the schools provide children with the particular skills and attitudes wanted by employers today 29 32
No opinion 3 2

Q42-47 I am going to read out a list of public services. From what you know or have heard, please tell me how satisfied or dissatisfied you are with the way each service is provided for Britain as a whole?

    Very satisfied Fairly satisfied Neither / nor Fairly dissatisfied Very dissatisfied Don't know
    % % % % % %
Q42 Primary Schools All 22 53 8 6 2 9
Sun readers 24 57 6 6 3 4
Q43 Secondary schools All 13 48 8 15 7 9
Sun readers 14 52 7 13 6 8
Q44 Bus services All 12 39 10 21 13 5
Sun readers 13 38 6 25 15 3
Q45 Train services All 8 40 9 21 14 8
Sun readers 9 42 7 17 16 9
Q46 Police All 22 55 5 11 6 1
Sun readers 24 55 4 8 7 1
Q47 NHS hospitals All 20 53 5 13 7 1
Sun readers 18 56 3 15 7 1

Q48-58 I am now going to read out a list of issues and I'd like you to tell me which party leader you trust most to deal with each of them -- the Prime Minister, Tony Blair or the Conservative leader, David Cameron?

    Blair Cameron Other Neither Don't know Blair lead
    % % % % % %
Q48 Crime All 38 28 4 16 14 +10
Sun readers 36 31 4 16 13 +5
Q49 Immigration and asylum All 31 34 4 18 13 -3
Sun readers 36 33 3 17 11 +3
Q50 Tax All 36 31 4 16 12 +5
Sun readers 43 28 3 17 11 +15
Q51 Europe All 41 27 3 16 13 +14
Sun readers 46 27 2 15 10 +19
Q52 Protecting Britain against terrorism All 46 21 3 17 13 +25
Sun readers 55 19 2 15 9 +36
Q53 Managing the economy All 44 25 5 13 13 +19
Sun readers 52 20 4 13 11 +32
Q54 Representing Britain abroad All 51 23 3 12 11 +28
Sun readers 57 17 1 15 10 +40
Q55 Hospitals All 40 28 5 16 11 +12
Sun readers 42 27 3 18 9 +15
Q56 Schools All 40 29 3 14 13 +11
Sun readers 48 25 2 15 10 +23
Q57 Anti-social behaviour such as drunkenness, vandalism and petty crime All 40 29 3 17 11 +11
Sun readers 50 25 2 15 7 +25
Q58 Protecting the natural environment All 35 25 8 19 13 +10
Sun readers 43 21 7 18 10 +22

Q59-62 In general whose interests do you think MPs / Tony Blair / David Cameron (if he were Prime Minister) / Gordon Brown (if he were Prime Minister) put first; their own, their constituents', their party's, or the country's?

    Their own Their party's Their constituents' The country's Other None of these / don't know
    % % % % % %
Q59 MPs All 45 28 9 14 1 3
Sun readers 42 27 7 20 1 3
Q60 Tony Blair All 42 17 4 32 1 4
Sun readers 38 17 5 34 1 5
Q61 David Cameron All 22 24 5 29 1 19
Sun readers 23 24 5 29 1 19
Q62 Gordon Brown All 32 17 5 32 1 12
Sun readers 34 17 4 34 1 12

Q63-64 I am now going to read out two statements and would like you to tell me whether you agree or disagree with each.

    Strongly agree Tend to agree Neither agree nor disagree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don't know
    % % % % % %
Q63 "Britain is a safe place for children to grow up" All 17 41 3 18 20 1
Sun readers 15 35 4 16 29 1
Q64 "Britain is as safe for children now as when I was young" All 7 14 1 23 53 2
Sun readers 7 13 1 20 56 3

Q65-74 I am going to read out a list of various crimes and I would like you to tell me what you think the sentence should be for each one. Should it be the death penalty, a life prison sentence, a long prison sentence, a short prison sentence, or should it be none of these? Firstly for ...

    Death penalty Life prison sentence Long prison sentence Short prison sentence None of these Don't know
    % % % % % %
Q65 Murder of an adult stranger All 23 50 24 1 * 2
Sun readers 30 48 20 1 1 1
Q66 Serious sexual abuse of an adult stranger All 7 34 53 3 1 1
Sun readers 11 36 50 2 2 0
Q67 Murder of a child All 43 43 11 * 1 1
Sun readers 61 31 7 0 * 1
Q68 Serious sexual abuse of a child All 27 42 28 * 1 1
Sun readers 41 38 19 1 1 *
Q69 Kidnap of a child All 9 29 54 6 1 2
Sun readers 12 32 49 5 1 1
Q70 Murder of a husband or wife in a fit of rage All 7 23 49 13 2 5
Sun readers 9 27 48 12 2 3
Q71 Murder committed in prison while already serving a life sentence All 34 42 14 2 2 5
Sun readers 43 36 15 1 2 3
Q72 Murder of a police officer on duty All 38 43 16 * 1 1
Sun readers 48 40 10 1 1 0
Q73 Murder in a terrorist attack All 46 38 13 * 1 2
Sun readers 58 32 8 1 1 0
Q74 Mercy killing / euthanasia All 3 6 7 33 45 5
Sun readers 7 9 10 32 37 5

Q75 It is current policy that prisoners serving life sentences for murder may be released after a certain period of time. How strongly do you agree or disagree with this policy?

  All Sun Readers
  % %
Strongly agree 6 7
Tend to agree 11 7
Neither agree nor disagree 3 2
Tend to disagree 11 11
Strongly disagree 66 71
Don't know 2 2
 
Agree 17 14
Disagree 77 82
Net agree -60 -68

Q76 And how much do you agree or disagree with the following statement? "People who are imprisoned for committing serious sexual crimes against children should never be set free"

  All Sun Readers
  % %
Strongly agree 65 79
Tend to agree 13 7
Neither agree nor disagree 3 2
Tend to disagree 12 7
Strongly disagree 5 4
Don't know 2 1
 
Agree 78 86
Disagree 17 11
Net agree +61 +75

Q77-79 As you may know, Britain has a bigger proportion of its population in prison than many other countries, and Britain's prisons are nearly full. For each of the following ways of dealing with this, do you think they should or should not be used?

    Should Should not Don't know
    % % %
Q77 Send fewer to prison All 36 57 7
Sun readers 35 58 8
Q78 Make prison sentences shorter All 13 79 8
Sun readers 12 82 6
Q79 Build more prisons All 74 24 2
Sun readers 80 19 1

Q80 If no prison space is available, should the government use converted ferries as floating prisons, or not?

  All Sun Readers
  % %
Should 63 65
Should not 31 30
Don't know 7 5

Q81-91 Which, if any, of the things I'm going to read out do you believe in?

    Yes No Don't Know
    % % %
Q81 God All 60 34 7
Sun readers 62 34 4
Q82 Life after death All 47 45 8
Sun readers 47 48 6
Q83 Astrology All 28 70 3
Sun readers 34 64 2
Q84 Ghosts All 36 60 4
Sun readers 42 56 3
Q85 Telepathy All 43 51 5
Sun readers 38 58 4
Q86 Premonitions / ESP All 56 40 3
Sun readers 48 48 4
Q87 Fortune telling / Tarot All 18 80 2
Sun readers 23 75 2
Q88 Out of body experience All 34 58 8
Sun readers 31 61 8
Q89 Reincarnation All 23 70 8
Sun readers 24 69 7
Q90 Faith-healers All 26 67 7
Sun readers 26 69 4
Q91 That dreams can predict the future All 28 68 4
Sun readers 32 65 3

Related news