How many UKIP supporters agree with same-sex marriage?

PinkNews logo surrounded by illustrated images including a rainbow, unicorn, PN sign and pride flag.

The British Social Attitudes report has shown a surprising percentage of UKIP supporters back same-sex marriage.

With UKIP some candidates suggesting same-sex marriages causes bad weather, and even gay UKIP politicians speaking out against it, many might assume the majority of the party’s supporters would be opposed to same-sex marriage. However the survey, conducted every year by NatCen, shows that 48% of UKIP supports believe same-sex couples should be allowed to marry, with only 31% being opposed to it. While it is less than the general population, where 60% support same-sex marriage, it is very similar to the statistics for Conservative supports – 49% in support, and 29% opposed.

The survey also found far more UKIP supporters among the over 55s than any other age group, and among more traditionally working class occupations. Support was roughly similar – between 7-12% – for people across all levels of education, except graduates where only 3% were UKIP supporters.

On political issues, perhaps most surprisingly, 17% want Britain to remain part of the EU. UKIP supports are more likely to be in favour of stiffer sentences for criminals and greater respect for authority and the law. 75% believe in the death penalty for some crimes – far higher than 48% of the general population.

They are slightly more likely to be actively engaged in politics and 70% believe they do not have a say in what the government does, compared with 44% of the general population.

While many of the statistics for social and political issues mirror those for Conservative voters, on income inequality, UKIP’s supporters have more in common with Labour. Nearly equal proportions of UKIP and Labour supporters believe “there is one law for the rich and one for the poor”, “ordinary people do not get their fair share of the nations wealth” and “big business benefits owners at the expense of workers”. But unlike Labour, UKIP supporters are less likely to think the government should step in to re-distribute income to the less well-off.

This week, it was reported UKIP leader Nigel Farage was chased out of a pup by HIV activists, who he branded “scum”.

Comments (0)

MyPinkNews members are invited to comment on articles to discuss the content we publish, or debate issues more generally. Please familiarise yourself with our community guidelines to ensure that our community remains a safe and inclusive space for all.

Loading Comments