Almost half of Britons now believe right-wing extremists are a major threat following 2024 riots
Perception that right-wing extremism is a big threat has increased 15pts since February
After a week of disorder in cities across England, almost half of Britons (47%) now believe that right-wing extremists are a “big threat”, according to the results of a new YouGov poll. This represents a fifteen point increase in six months from 32% in our previous poll in February.
This brings concern about right-wing extremists to almost the same level as that towards Islamic extremists, who 52% of people see as a big threat (a figure largely unchanged since the last poll).
Far fewer believe that left-wing extremists are a major threat (23%), and only 13% say the same of Irish Republican extremists.
If we include those who see each group as a ‘moderate’ threat, then more than seven in ten see Islamic and right-wing extremists as a significant threat (75% and 72% respectively), compared to half for left-wing extremists (49%) and a little over a third for Irish Republican extremists (37%).
The threat assessment of extremists differs significantly between voters. A majority of Labour (63%) and Lib Dem voters (66%) see right-wing extremists as a big threat. This falls to 43% among Conservative voters and just 18% among those who backed Reform UK last month.
In fact, half of Reform UK voters see far right of extremism as either a ‘minor’ threat (31%) or ‘no threat at all’ (22%). Among Tory voters only 20% see little to no danger coming from the far-right, and just 5-7% of Labour and Lib Dem voters feel likewise.
Reform UK voters are two and a half times more likely to see left-wing extremists (46%) as a big threat than those extremists on the right. Only 13-16% of Labour and Lib Dem voters say the same – as with Reform UK voters, half of Labour and Lib Dem voters (51-56%) see little to no threat coming from extremists on their side of the political spectrum.
The biggest concern for Conservative and Reform UK voters is Islamic extremism, with 70% and 84% respectively branding it a major menace. This falls to around four in ten Labour and Lib Dem voters (41% and 38% respectively) – one in five of these voters say Islamic extremists are a minor threat (20-21%), although only a tiny fraction say they aren’t a threat at all (1%).
How do you feel about the recent riots, extremism in the UK, and everything else? Have your say, join the YouGov panel, and get paid to share your thoughts. Sign up here.
Photo: Getty
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