EDL stirs up hatred and makes risk of attack ‘more likely’, says poll

Some interesting results were thrown up by a Survation poll published today. The poll asked 1,121 adults a number of questions relating to the Woolwich attack.

* 61 per cent of those surveyed thought that the actions of the EDL made the risk of terrorist attacks “more likely”

* 47.6 per cent said that the “Snooper’s Charter” should not be reintroduced as it is a threat to civil liberties. 40.1 per cent thought it should be brought back.

* 59.3 per cent believed figures like Anjem Choudary, former leader of the banned Al-Muhajiroun group, should not be allowed to appear on TV programmes.

* 51.5 per cent of respondents thought that broadcasters were right to show graphic footage of the attack, as it was in the public interest.

The migration think tank British Future interpreted the Survation poll, as well as two other YouGov polls published this weekend, as showing that “this week’s spike in online support for the EDL is coming from a tiny (and indeed dwindling) minority fringe, and is certainly not an expression of the public’s view in general”.

You can read their full report here.

Independent, 26 May 2013