LORD ASHCROFT POLLS : NORTHERN IRELAND VOTERS LEAN TOWARDS REPLACING MONARCHY, CORONATION POLL FINDS

LONDON, May 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- More voters in Northern Ireland would choose to become a republic tomorrow than remain a constitutional monarchy – though the UK as a whole would vote to keep the royals, according to new polling from Lord Ashcroft.

Findings from the survey include:

• 46% of voters in Northern Ireland said they would vote to become a republic in a referendum tomorrow, while 42% would choose to remain a constitutional monarchy. 12% said they didn't know or would not vote. (Voters in England would keep the monarchy by 57% to 22%, Wales by 54% to 23%, and Scotland by 46% to 32%).
• 91% of strongly Unionists and 70% of broadly Unionist voters said they would keep the monarchy; 86% of strongly Nationalist and 77% of broadly Nationalist voters would choose to become a republic. Those saying they were neutral on the constitutional question backed a republic by 59% to 20%.
• Northern Ireland voters aged 65 and over backed the monarchy by 48% to 34%; those aged 18 to 24 said they would vote for a republic by 48% to 35%.
• 59% of Northern Ireland voters said they had a positive view of Princess Anne, making her the most popular royal in the Province. She was followed by the Prince and Princess of Wales (both 54%) and King Charles and Sophie, Countess of Wessex (both 47%). Among Unionists, the most popular figures were the Prince and Princess of Wales; Nationalists were most favourable towards Prince Harry and Meghan – though 40% of broadly Nationalist voters also had a favourable view of Princess Anne.
• 72% of those voting to keep the monarchy said it was a good thing for the country; 21% said the alternative we ended up with would probably be worse, and 7% said the process of changing would probably be too disruptive.
• Only 14% of those preferring a republic said this would bring real, practical benefits; 85% of them said the monarchy was wrong in principle and should be replaced whether there were practical benefits or not. 51% of pro-republic voters agreed that "in an ideal world we wouldn't have the monarchy, but there are more important things for the country to deal with."
• 68% of Northern Ireland voters said they thought the King and the royal family cared a lot about the country. This included a majority (55%) of broadly Nationalist and 30% of strongly Nationalist voters. Northern Ireland voters were divided as to whether the royal family (47%) or elected politicians (53%) did a better job of connecting with ordinary people.
• 26% said the royal family helped the political situation in Northern Ireland, 27% said they made the situation worse, and 42% said they made no difference to Northern Ireland politics.
• Asked where their sympathies lay between Prince Harry and the rest of the royal family, 20% had more sympathy for Harry and Meghan and 37% for the King and Prince William; 8% had sympathy for both and 33% (including more than half of Nationalists) for neither.
• Lord Ashcroft's polling found six countries in which more said they would vote to become a republic than to keep the monarchy: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Canada, Jamaica and the Solomon Islands.

1,156 adults in Northern Ireland were interviewed online in March 2023. A total of 22,701 adults were interviewed in the 15 countries in which King Charles is head of state. The full report, Uncharted Realms: The Future of the Monarchy in the UK and Around the World, together with full data for each country, is available for free at LordAshcroftPolls.com

LORD ASHCROFT KCMG PC is an international businessman, philanthropist, pollster and author. He is a former Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party and honorary Chairman of the International Democrat Union. His recent political books include Going For Broke: The Rise of Rishi Sunak, First Lady: Intrigue at the Court of Carrie and Boris Johnson, and Red Knight: The Unauthorised Biography of Sir Keir Starmer.

LordAshcroftPolls.com  //  LordAshcroft.com  //  Twitter/Facebook: @LordAshcroft

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