A fifth of Brits would support the reintroduction of lockdown measures should the health situation need them, a new poll has found.
According to The Telegraph, research group More in Common surveyed 2,000 people to find out what they thought about lockdown-style restrictions in the future. It found those aged 25 to 42 were most in favour of the rules.
Around 16% of people said they would be “strongly support” with masks returning on public transport. While 29% said they were “somewhat” supportive of face coverings on trains, tubes and buses.
However, only 13% of people would “strongly support” nightclubs having to close again, with 16% “somewhat” in favour. Data from 2022 suggested one in five nightclubs shut since the start of the Covid pandemic.
Only 8% of people surveyed said they would back measures such as the rule of six, which saw people only allowed to meet up in groups of six outside. Although 14% said they would be somewhat supportive.
Restaurant closures would only be strongly supported by around 7% of those who responded, with 13% showing some support. The hospitality sector was among those hit by the pandemic, with Rishi Sunak appearing before the Covid Inquiry this week to defend the Eat Out to Help Out scheme – which the PM says saved more jobs from being lost.
Only 8% of the 2,000 people surveyed said they would support the return of the full lockdown measures that saw the mandate to stay at home unless for essential shopping, exercise and work.
Luke Tryl, the director of More in Common, told The Telegraph: “Two years on from the removal of all formal Covid rules, our polling finds a significant chunk of the public would actually like to see restrictions reintroduced.
“Why is this the case? From our focus groups we know that while most people couldn’t wait to get back to normal life there was undoubtedly a smaller group who enjoyed the quieter pace of life that lockdown brought and would like to see it brought back.”
A majority of people polled were opposed to the reintroduction of restrictions. On the whole, 48% were strongly against face mask rules on public transport and 61% somewhat or strongly opposed to closing nightclubs.
Meanwhile 69% said they were somewhat or strongly opposed to the rule of six. And 72% voted the same on closing pubs and restaurants.
Additionally, 72% of people said they were strongly or somwhat opposed to a full lockdown.