Over 25% of Brits want clubs to stay closed permanently

News

New research conducted by Ipsos Mori for The Economist suggests that some Brits are in favour of a permanent extension to a number of COVID-19 restrictions.

A poll, carried out over 2nd and 3rd July, which took in the views of 1,025 British adults aged between 16 and 75, found that 26% of people believe that nightclubs should remain permantly closed. It’s one of a number of striking results to emerge from the poll, in which participants were asked three questions on seven topics related to the lifting of lockdown restrictions (in England) next week.

46% of those polled believed that clubs should remain closed for another month as the UK continues to vaccinate as many adults as possible, while 30% stated that they disagree that clubs should stay closed until the pandemic is “under control worldwide”.

Surprisingly, the age group most in favour of clubs remaining permanently closed was 16-24-year-olds, with the figure sitting at 40% among them. 52% disagreed with the idea that they should be closed indefinitely, and, perhaps unexpectedly, it was 55-75-year-olds that most disagreed, sitting at 60% of them.

Elsewhere in the poll, 19% of respondents supported a permanent 10pm curfew. You can check the full poll, including a graph breakdown of the results, via Ipsos Mori.

Gideon Skinner, Head of Political Research at Ipsos MORI, said: “Throughout most of the pandemic, we’ve seen support for many of the measures that the government has taken to control the virus – broadly speaking, many more people define themselves as supporters of the restrictions than opponents, and only a minority believe that the rules have been too strict.

“This latest polling backs this up, with the public prepared to accept a number of restrictions such as mask-wearing and on foreign travel being in place in the short-term after the planned July 19th easing, and even if necessary until the coronavirus is under control worldwide (although support for the most extreme of the options – a curfew – is consistently much lower).”

He continued: “However, this isn’t a blank cheque –  support falls noticeably for restrictions being in place permanently. Interestingly, while COVID is still seen as a risk support for restrictions tends to be stronger among older age groups, but that age difference disappears when we ask about support for restrictions remaining in place permanently (and if anything, older groups actually become more opposed).”

The UK Government is encouraging clubs and festivals in England to use the NHS Covid Pass for entry when they return from 19th July, though it has not made use of it a legal requirement.

It was confirmed this past Monday that clubs and festivals could return in England with no capacity restrictions from next week.