It is interesting that our opinions are supported by the majority of people questioned for this representative opinion poll, who are worried and mistrustful of the Government and others who snoop on them routinely and unnecessarily, but that is not something to celebrate.
Over the past 19 years, the JRRT has commissioned regular State of the Nation polls.
The 2010 poll found:
- 53 per cent of those asked thought ID cards a bad or very bad idea, compared with only 33 per cent who opposed them in the 2006 poll.
- The numbers also rose for people worried about the government holding data on them, from 53 per cent to 65 per cent.
[...]
Contrary to what people in the Home Office might like to think, this latest State of the Nation poll shows that the public have now made up their minds about ID cards - and they think they're a bad idea.
"And it's not just ID cards. Across the board, we have found people are becoming increasingly hostile towards any government initiative that involves collecting, storing and sharing their personal information.
Concerns about civil liberties, alongside the government's disastrous record in looking after people's data, have contributed to a clear hardening of attitudes against the database state.
"It's no surprise therefore that a demand to scrap ID cards and roll back the database state is one of the most popular issues being voted on at www.power2010.org.uk/vote - and look set to be a central part of our major nationwide campaign at the next election
'People are worried by the power of the state. They want more say in the decisions that affect them, their families and their communities. And they want a stronger Parliament that can hold government to account.
The specific questions asked, and the summary results of the poll are available below, and, eventually, on the JRRT and Power 2010 websites:
|
|
State of the Nation Survey 2010
Topline Results - PRIVACY AND THE DATABASE STATE
(Tuesday 16th February 2010)
Results are based on interviews with 2,288 GB residents aged 18+.
Interviews were carried out face-to-face, in street between 20th January and 7th February 2010.
A representative sample was interviewed, with quotas set by age, gender and work status.
The data has been weighted by age, gender, work status, housing tenure and region.
Where results do not sum to 100%, this may be due to multiple responses, computer rounding or the exclusion of don't knows/not stated.
Results are based on all respondents (2,288) unless otherwise stated.
An asterisk (*) represents a value of less than one half or one percent, but not zero.
Study undertaken by ICM on behalf of the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust.
Q1 |
I would now like to ask you some questions about a Bill of Rights, which some people have been talking about. On this card is a list of rights that some people have said should be included in a Bill of Rights. I'd like you to go through the list and tell me, which, if any, you yourself think should be INCLUDED in a Bill of Rights. |
|
|
% |
|
Right to a fair trial before a jury |
88 |
|
Right to hospital treatment on the NHS within a reasonable time |
87 |
|
Right to know what information government departments hold about you |
81 |
|
Right to privacy in your phone, mail and e-mail communications |
79 |
|
Right to join a legal strike without losing your job |
76 |
|
Right to obtain information from government bodies about their activities |
75 |
|
Right of free assembly for peaceful meetings and demonstrations |
72 |
|
Right of a woman to have an abortion |
66 |
|
Right of British subjects to equal treatment on entering and leaving the UK, irrespective of colour or race |
66 |
|
Right of those who are homeless to be housed |
60 |
|
Don't know |
4 |
|
Q2 |
Do you agree or disagree with the view that Britain needs a Bill of Rights to protect the liberty of the individual? |
|
|
% |
|
Agree strongly |
52 |
|
Agree slightly |
28 |
|
Neither agree nor disagree |
8 |
|
Disagree slightly |
3 |
|
Disagree strongly |
3 |
|
Don't know |
6 |
|
Q3 |
The government has proposed the introduction of identity cards that, in combination with your passport, will cost around £93. From what you have seen or heard do you think that this proposal is a good idea or a bad idea? |
|
|
% |
|
Very good idea |
10 |
|
Good idea |
27 |
|
Bad idea |
25 |
|
Very bad idea |
27 |
|
Don't know |
10 |
|
Q4 |
From what you have seen or heard do you think the following government proposals for handling personal information are a good idea or a bad idea? |
|||||||
|
|
Very good idea |
Good idea |
Bad idea |
Very bad idea |
Don't know |
||
Collecting information about citizens and storing it on large computer systems which can then be used for a wide range of purposes and shared between different parts of government |
% |
6 |
22 |
31 |
34 |
7 |
||
Holding all your medical records on a centralised computer system, rather than under the control of your GP or hospital |
% |
13 |
26 |
26 |
29 |
6 |
||
Allowing the government to be able access your phone, e-mail and internet browsing records wherever they are held |
% |
3 |
9 |
28 |
55 |
5 |
||
Q5 |
In England and Wales, the police can currently take a DNA sample from anyone arrested for a recordable offence before they are charged with an offence. This sample is analysed to produce a DNA profile which is kept permanently on a database, whether or not the person is convicted or even charged with an offence. For each of the following please tell me whether you think the police should keep a person's DNA profile on the database permanently, or whether there should be a time limit. |
|||||
|
|
Keep permanently |
Time limit |
Don't know |
||
If they are convicted of a serious violent or sexual offence, such as rape or murder |
% |
92 |
5 |
2 |
||
If they are convicted of burglary |
% |
57 |
39 |
4 |
||
If they are convicted of being drunk and disorderly, or taking part in an illegal demonstration |
% |
25 |
65 |
10 |
||
Q6 |
I am now going to read out a number of policies and proposals, and I would like you to tell me to what extent you support or oppose each? |
||||||||
|
|
Strongly support |
Tend to support |
Neither support nor oppose |
Tend to oppose |
Strongly oppose |
Don't know |
||
Allowing the police to take a DNA sample from a person before they are charged with an offence |
% |
17 |
22 |
9 |
19 |
31 |
2 |
||
Allowing the police to keep a person's DNA profile on a database permanently, even if they are never charged or convicted of an offence |
% |
14 |
15 |
8 |
20 |
41 |
3 |
||
Allowing the police to keep a person's DNA profile on a database for six years, even if they are never charged or convicted of an offence |
% |
14 |
19 |
9 |
19 |
37 |
3 |
||
Allowing the police to keep a person's record of arrest permanently, even if they are never charged or convicted of an offence |
% |
11 |
14 |
9 |
19 |
43 |
3 |
||
CLASSIFICATIONS
Gender |
% |
|
Male |
48 |
|
Female |
52 |
|
Age |
% |
18-24 |
12 |
25-34 |
16 |
35-44 |
20 |
45-54 |
17 |
55-64 |
15 |
65+ |
21 |
Tenure: |
% |
Own outright |
33 |
Own with mortgage |
39 |
Council rent |
13 |
Private rent/other |
16 |
Working Status of respondent: |
% |
Full-time |
45 |
Part-time |
12 |
Not working |
36 |
Unemployed |
7 |
Social class |
% |
AB |
21 |
C1 |
32 |
C2 |
19 |
DE |
26 |
Not stated |
2 |
Trade Union member |
% |
Yes |
14 |
No |
84 |
Not stated |
2 |
Workplace |
% |
Public sector |
27 |
Private sector |
37 |
Other |
13 |
Not stated |
23 |
Cars in household |
% |
None |
23 |
One |
43 |
Two |
28 |
Three + |
5 |
Not stated |
1 |
Ethnicity (SHOW CARD) |
% |
White |
92 |
NET: Black |
2 |
Black Caribbean |
1 |
Black African |
1 |
Black other |
* |
NET: Asian |
4 |
Of Indian origin |
1 |
Of Pakistani origin |
1 |
Of Bangladeshi origin |
1 |
Of other Asian origin |
* |
NET: Other |
2 |
Of Chinese origin |
* |
Other / mixed |
2 |
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