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The Independent
16 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Fewer than half of young men believe abortion should be legal, poll finds
Fewer than half of young men believe abortion should be legal, far less than the general population, a shocking new poll has found. Just 46 per cent of 18 to 36-year-old men believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, compared with 71 per cent among the general population. Amid concerns about the rise of the manosphere - a growing online community of hypermasculine influencers - the Ipsos poll showed a stark drop in support for abortion in those aged under 36. Eight in 10 55 to 75-year-old men support abortion being legal in all or most cases, while three-quarters of 35 to 54-year-olds do. And, among those aged 18 to 36, more than a third of men think abortion should be illegal in most or all cases, the poll found. Labour MP Stella Creasy, a prominent campaigner in parliament for abortion access, told The Independent: 'Those [who are] complacent that abortion access is supported in this country don't understand the culture war is chipping away at all women's rights, including healthcare.' The polling comes before MPs vote this week on decriminalising abortion through amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill. Currently, abortions can legally be carried out within the first 24 weeks of pregnancy in England, Scotland and Wales. They must be approved by two doctors, with the health professionals agreeing continuing with the pregnancy would be riskier for the physical or mental health of the woman than having an abortion. While this is what the law stipulates, in reality, abortions can be given, whatever the person's reasoning. But an amendment tabled by Ms Creasy would see abortion enshrined as a human right, as has been done in Northern Ireland. 'The only way we can stop women being targeted in this way and ensure they have safe and legal access is to designate abortion a human right as we have in Northern Ireland, and only new clause 20 to the policing bill will do that,' she added. A rival amendment tabled by Labour's Tonia Antoniazzi - which would mean women can no longer be prosecuted for terminating a pregnancy in England and Wales - is seen as more likely to get the backing of MPs. Ms Antoniazzi told The Independent the poll should serve as 'a reminder to male MPs for the vote on Tuesday that they can't just leave this work to women'. She urged colleagues to back her amendment and added: 'This is one poll. It's important to recognise that this poll, just like every other on abortion, shows that the country as a whole remains staunchly pro-choice.' But she said the findings were a 'clear example of the fact that women's hard-won rights can never be taken for granted'. It 'underscores why we must always keep fighting to preserve and advance them, as we do,' she added. It came as a row broke out in the final days before Tuesday's votes, with supporters of Ms Creasy's amendment accusing backers of Ms Antoniazzi of a campaign to get MPs to withdraw their support. Ms Creasy fears Ms Antoniazzi's amendment does not go far enough in enshrining and protecting the right to abortion, but the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) said it has 'profound concerns' about the drafting of Ms Creasy's amendment. It called on MPs to withdraw their support for Ms Creasy's proposal and refuse to support it. Ahead of the votes, Ipsos found broad support for abortion access except among young men. The pollster also found that around half of voters think the current 24-week time limit for abortions is 'about right', with a quarter saying it is too late and just 4 per cent saying it is too early. Nigel Farage said last month that it is 'ludicrous we allow abortion up to 24 weeks' and that the law is 'totally out of date'. And, asked about illegal abortions, just over half of voters said the person who performed an abortion should face a penalty, compared with under a third who think the woman having the abortion should. Ipsos Pollster Kate Duxbury at Ipsos said: "While the majority of Britons support legal abortion, with seven in ten in favour, our polling reveals a significant fault line: less than half of young men aged 16-34 agree. 'This divergence, coupled with the fact that around half of Britons think the current 24-week limit is 'about right', highlights the complexities facing policymakers as they consider decriminalisation. It's clear that public opinion is far from monolithic, demanding a nuanced approach to this sensitive issue."
The Hill
09-04-2025
- Business
- The Hill
High prices top list of economic worries: Poll
Nearly half of voters say they are most worried about increased costs for food and other goods, among current economic concerns, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday. The poll asked respondents to pick among four options which economic issue worries them the most: Prices for food and consumer goods; housing/rent; the stock market; or job security. Overwhelmingly, costs for food and other purchases came out on top, with more than double citing that option than housing, which came in second. 'In a rare moment of political unanimity, Democrats, Republicans and independents in equal numbers worry most about the prices of what they eat and what they buy,' Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy said. Twenty percent of respondents said the cost of housing or rent is their chief concern, 17 percent said stocks and 6 percent said employment. The poll also asked voters how they have modified their buying habits amid economic uncertainty. Nearly a third said they have put off buying big-ticket items like furniture or appliances. Six percent say they made bigger purchases sooner than they otherwise would have, and 60 percent said they have not changed their purchasing choices. Split by party, more than three in four Republicans said they haven't recently changed their purchasing habits, compared to 44 percent of Democrats and 59 percent of independents. Democrats were most likely to say they had put off major purchases at 45 percent to 15 percent of Republicans and 29 percent of independents. Nine percent of Democrats said they expedited major purchases, compared to 4 percent of Republicans and 5 percent of independents. The poll expands on economic attitudes found in a separate Reuters/Ipsos Poll conducted over the weekend. In that poll, a majority of Americans surveyed said they expected prices would go up because of President Trump's sweeping tariff overhaul that took effect on Wednesday. Trump announced on Wednesday an abrupt pause in some of the tariff hikes. The Quinnipiac poll surveyed 1,407 self-identified registered voters nationwide by phone April 3-7. It has a margin of error of 2.6 percentage points.
