Londoners' Attitudes To Religious Dress And Cultural Diversity In The Capital
A new Ipsos survey for the Greater London Authority (GLA) shows Londoners' support the right to wear religious dress; three quarters (75%) back 'the right of all persons to dress in accordance with their religious beliefs'. More generally, a belief in personal freedoms and rights is widespread in the capital, with 82% agreeing that 'everybody in London should be free to live their lives how they like as long as they don't stop other people doing the same'. A majority of Londoners celebrate the capital's cultural and religious diversity: 74% say it is important that 'there are regular events and festivals to celebrate London's different ethnic and religious communities.'
A new Ipsos survey for the Greater London Authority (GLA) shows Londoners' support the right to wear religious dress -- three quarters (75%) back 'the right of all persons to dress in accordance with their religious beliefs'. More generally, a belief in personal freedoms and rights is widespread in the capital, with 82% agreeing that 'everybody in London should be free to live their lives how they like as long as they don't stop other people doing the same'. A majority of Londoners celebrate the capital's cultural and religious diversity: 74% say it is important that 'there are regular events and festivals to celebrate London's different ethnic and religious communities.'
Each month, Ipsos surveys a representative sample of 1,000 Londoners about a range of issues. If you are interested in learning more about the London Omnibus, or adding questions to future waves, please contact Kully Kaur-Ballagan or Julia Pye.
Topline Results
- Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,002 residents in the Greater London area.
- Interviews were conducted between the 9-14 November 2006.
- Data are weighted to reflect the London population profile.
- Where results do not sum to 100%, this may be due to multiple responses, computer rounding or the exclusion of don't knows / not stated.
Q1 To what extent do you agree or disagree that:
| Strongly agree | Tend to agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Tend to disagree | Strongly disagree | Don't know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| The British Government has the right to tell me how to live my life | 2 | 13 | 8 | 21 | 55 | 1 |
| The British media has the right to tell me how to live my life | 1 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 81 | 1 |
| Everybody in London should be free to live their lives how they like as long as they don't stop other people doing the same | 58 | 24 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 1 |
| Everyone in Britain has a fundamental right to freedom of thought, conscience, speech and religion, as long as they don't stop other people having the same right | 71 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Q2 How important do you think it is that there are regular events and festivals to celebrate London's different ethnic and religious communities?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Very important | 33 |
| Fairly important | 41 |
| Not very important | 18 |
| Not at all important | 7 |
| Don't know | 1 |
Q3 Please tell me to what extent you agree or disagree that ...
| Strongly agree | Tend to agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Tend to disagree | Strongly disagree | Don't know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| It is the right of all persons to dress in accordance with their religious beliefs | 35 | 40 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 1 |
