The Fear and HOPE survey reveals that 14% of English people identified most with Nigel Farage as the politician with the views closest to theirs….
The Fear and HOPE survey reveals that 14% of English people identified most with Nigel Farage as the politician with the views closest to theirs.
This is a remarkable figure, given that he is not currently a political leader and UKIP polled so poorly in the 2017 General Election.
It should act as a warning of potential support for the new party that Farage and millionaire (and former UKIP bankroller) Arron Banks plan to set up in the autumn.
Supporters
So what does a Farage supporter look like? And how do their views compare with the rest of the population?
Farage’s supporters are more likely to be men. They are more likely to be older, and 65% are over 45. They are more likely to be Christian than other respondents (53%) and they are most likely white – a staggering 96%.
They tend to be less educated and 74% are non-graduates. A fifth live in the South East of England, but only 7% are in London.
In the 2017 election, only 15% of these supporters actually put their faith in UKIP, with the majority lending their votes to the Conservative party, who were most trusted on Brexit. Although many had been Labour supporters in 2010 and 2015, just 7% voted for Labour. Many are unhappy with the political class, and 24% did not vote at all.
Sceptics
The Farage supporter is sceptical about immigration, and wary of social change.
Half (49%) think that immigration has changed their local community for the worse, compared to a quarter of the total population.
A huge 80% think that immigrants don’t want to integrate, compared to 49% of the general population, and they don’t see positives in multiculturalism – just 11% agree that migrants have added richness and variety to the culture of Britain and made the country more prosperous.
Islam
Their anxieties about others are particularly acute when asked about Muslims in Britain.
85% of Farage supporters believe that Muslims cause problems in the world compared to 54% of all respondents.
32% believe that it is reasonable to blame an entire religion for the actions of a few extremists and they are unlikely to think that the media is negative about Muslims or that discrimination is a problem for Muslims in Britain.
72% say that their suspicion of Muslims has increased since the recent terror attacks and 77% agree that the burqa should be banned.
Nationalists, Brexit
Worryingly, in response to reports of violence between English nationalist extremists and Muslim extremists, more Farage supporters side with English nationalists than condemn both groups.
65% would support a campaign to stop mosques being built and 38% believe violence would be acceptable in this campaign.
Their support for Brexit is loud and clear, and they are optimistic about Britain’s future outside of the EU.
69% think the country will benefit from reduced immigration, compared to just 36% of all English people and 60% of Farage supporters would respond with anger if Britain was to compromise on ending free movement.
62% feel that the country’s economic circumstances will improve, compared to just a quarter of all respondents.
Despite Nigel’s downfall, the Farage supporter remains defiantly hostile.
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