The Case for Community Resilience

Fear and HOPE 2024

October 2024

Fear and HOPE 2024: The Case for Community Resilience

HOPE not hate’s Fear and HOPE reports identify the drivers of fear and hope and the triggers that push people from one to the other. This year, we look at 2024 as a pivotal point for the UK, with the General Election in July and far-right riots in August. We look back at the archive of Fear and HOPE reports since 2011, seeing how public attitudes have changed under 14 years of Conservative governments.

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OVERVIEW

A SNAPSHOT OF THIS YEAR’S REPORT

The new segments

Our segments capture  groups of people who hold similar attitudes to multiculturalism, politics, migration and other culture war issues. This allows us to build a picture of where public attitudes towards key issues currently are and how they have changed over time.

Multiculturalists. 

This group is our biggest segment, and has the most accepting views about immigration, multiculturalism, LGBTQ+ rights and religious minorities. They are more likely to have degree level or above qualifications and they are slightly more likely to be based in Greater London and the South East.

Hyper-progressives.

This segment has positive beliefs about multiculturalism and immigration. However, they are also more likely to have negative views of some religious minorities, specifically Jews and to some extent Hindus. Members of this segment are more likely to be female and non-religious. They are politically pessimistic and were much more likely not to have voted in the 2024 General Election.

Cherry-pickers.

Members of this segment have broadly positive beliefs about multiculturalism and immigration and high levels of trust and optimism in society. However, they also tend to have negative views of non-Muslim groups such as Hindus and Sikhs, as well as LGBTQ+ people. Members of this segment are much more likely to be Muslim, younger and have degree level or above qualifications.

Traditionalists.

This segment has negative views about multiculturalism and immigration but middling views on non-Muslim minorities. It is one of the more optimistic segments, and also one of the more affluent, with strong traditional conservative values. Traditionalists are more likely to be male, religious and homeowners.

Islamosceptics.

This group holds hostile views towards Muslims, immigration and multiculturalism, but has positive or neutral beliefs towards non-Muslim minorities such as Hindus and Sikhs. Members of this segment are more likely to be older and almost a quarter voted for Reform in the 2024 General Election. They are the most pessimistic of the segments.

Nativists. 

Our most hostile segment, the Nativists have the most negative attitudes towards immigration, Islam, multiculturalism and the LGBTQ+ community. They are also extremely pessimistic about the future and have low trust in politics. Members of this segment are much less likely to have educational qualifications beyond degree level, and more likely to be on a low income and rent their home from the council or local authority.

For more in-depth analysis of the segments, read the full article HERE  or download the full report PDF. 

Migration deep dive

Migration has been an issue of growing political salience over the last few years, including and up to the most recent election in July 2024. Although it has not been a top three issue for most people in the UK (these spots are reserved for cost of living, health and the economy), the number of people to whom it is important has grown over the last five years, almost doubling from 13% to 25%.

In this piece, we look at how rhetoric, policy and far-right narratives shape public attitudes to migration and what this means for community resilience more widely.

Read more HERE or download the full report PDF

Multiculturalism deep dive

Attitudes to multiculturalism have worsened in recent years with people viewing it as a ‘failure’ and a direct threat to a British identity.

Over the last few decades there has been notable progress in attitudes towards diversity, reflective of improvements in race relations more broadly. 

However, in recent years there has been a discernible dampening of attitudes towards multiculturalism. Today, over half of the country believes that multiculturalism is not working, and just under half believe that multiculturalism has undermined British culture.

In this piece, we explore how people today define Britishness, how this is shaped by the Government and exploited by the far right, and where we go next.

Read more HERE or download the full report PDF

The August 2024 riots

Following a horrific attack in Southport, Merseyside in which three young girls were murdered and many were injured, heightened emotions and grief were exploited and inflamed by hateful actors. Rioting broke out across the UK in early August 2024, expedited by the rapid spread of mis- and disinformation about the attack.

High profile far-right figures and people engaging on social media were quick to create, amplify and spread rumours about the attacker being a Muslim, ‘illegal’ migrant who had arrived on a small boat a year ago.

These events exposed deep-seated racist, anti-migrant and anti-Muslim sentiments in the UK, highlighting the vulnerability of communities to far-right agitation and the urgent need for government action to build resilience and counter disinformation.

Read more HERE or download the full report PDF

Recommendations

With the July General Election and August far-right riots in such recent memory, it is hard not to feel like 2024 could be a real turning point for the UK. Perceptions of multicultural Britain are negative, and although local identity is stronger than national identity, overall resilience is low.

In response to the pivotal events of 2024, Fear and HOPE 2024 presents a series of strategic recommendations to strengthen community resilience across the UK. By fostering collaboration and addressing key issues like divisive rhetoric and social cohesion, the report outlines a path toward a more united and resilient society. Read our key recommendations in this feature article, or download the full report below.

Read more HERE or DOWNLOAD

FEATURED ARTICLES

DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT

Our latest report identifies the drivers of fear and hope and the triggers that push people from one to the other. This year, we look at 2024 as a pivotal point for the UK, with the General Election in July and riots in August. We look back at the archive of Fear and HOPE reports since 2011, seeing how public attitudes have changed under 14 years of Conservative governments. Download the full report today.

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