A massive number of British students back return of death penalty | UK | News
Almost half of British students support bringing back the death penalty, according to a new poll of young voters.
The survey, in which 1,018 university students aged between 18 and 21 were questioned, revealed that 47 percent of the participants were in favor of bringing back the death penalty, while 46 percent were against it for all crimes.
The findings show that students align with the broader public, with almost 50 percent supporting the death penalty and 45 percent opposing it.
The death penalty for murder was abolished in Britain in 1969. The last executions took place in August 1964, when Peter Anthony Allen and Gwynne Owen Evans were hanged.
Hamas supported Israel
In the United States, the death penalty remains legal in 27 of the 50 states, but 11 are classified as “practically abolitionist,” meaning they have not carried out executions in more than a decade, The Times reported.
The survey also explored students’ attitudes about global conflicts and domestic policy debates.
Regarding the Israel-Gaza war, 28 percent of students said the October 7 Hamas attacks were “defensible,” while 34 percent called them “indefensible.” 37 percent said they were not sure.
GB News notes that students were more critical of Israel’s response, with nearly half calling it “indefensible” and just 18 percent saying it was justified.
By comparison, previous polls show that 45 percent of adults in the UK believe Israel’s actions are not justified.
On defense policy, students showed strong support for unilateral nuclear disarmament in the UK; 72 percent of students supported it, compared to just 11 percent of adults.
Support for wealth tax and transgender issues
The survey also found that nearly six in 10 students support a wealth tax; but support was weaker among Conservative and Reform UK supporters than among Labour, Liberal Democrat, Green, SNP and Plaid Cymru students.
On social policy, nearly a third support transgender people using facilities consistent with their gender identity, while 47 percent support historic reparations for the slave trade, compared with 24 percent of adults nationwide.
Nick Hillman, chief executive of the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and author of the report, said the findings come amid debate over so-called “culture war” tensions at universities.
He said: “With the ‘culture war’ feeling entrenched and universities and their regulators grappling with new rules on freedom of expression, we decided to ask students for their views on a range of issues.”
He added that students’ views were “strikingly different” on a small number of issues.
“They are more sympathetic to the banned terrorist organization Hamas, more supportive of reparations for the slave trade, and more supportive of unilateral nuclear disarmament,” he said.
“Comparing students’ views with those of all adults is illuminating because today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders.”
