Fewer left-wing people are scared of Isis than right-wingers, finds global survey

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More right-wing people are worried about Isis than left-wing people in North America and many European countries, according to a major new survey.

The respected Pew Research Centre found that 85 per cent of those on the right of the political spectrum in the US viewed Isis as a “major threat to our country”, compared to 63 per cent on the left.

In the UK, the split was 74 per cent of right-wingers to 51 per cent on the left.

The biggest difference was in Canada where just 33 per cent on the left were concerned about the Islamist terrorist movement, compared to 59 per cent on the right, followed by the Netherlands, with 47 per cent to 72 per cent.

There was also a substantial difference in attitudes towards refugees fleeing countries such as Iraq and Syria.

Just 14 per cent of left-wingers in the UK viewed them as a major threat to Britain, compared to 45 per cent on the right.

In the US, 14 per cent on the left shared those concerns compared to 60 per cent on the right. In Germany, the left-right political divide on the issue was 14 to 51 and in Canada it was five to 35.

The people most concerned about such refugees were right-wingers in Italy (78 per cent), Greece (75) and Hungary (70).

“Within the countries of Europe and North America, concern over many of the listed threats differs substantially between demographic groups,” Pew said in a report.

“One of the starker divides is that of political ideology. The most significant differences by ideology are on the refugee threat. In all of the countries surveyed in Europe and North America, those on the political right are more concerned about the large number of refugees coming from the Middle East than those on the left.

“A similar right-left divide also exists for those who see Isis as a major threat. In Canada, 59 per cemt on the right say that Isis is a major threat, compared with only 33 per cent of those on the left.

“Significant political divides on the Isis threat also exist in the US (a 22-percentage-point difference) and seven other EU countries.”

Age also appears to be a significant factor.

“In seven countries in Europe, North America and Russia, people ages 50 and older are much more concerned about the threat from the extremist group than are the young,” the Pew report said.

“For example, in the Netherlands, 78 per cent of people 50 or older say that Isis is a major threat to their country, while only 46 per cent among Dutch youth say the same.”

A majority of people on both sides of the political spectrum in the main European countries viewed climate change as a major threat to their countries.

The only exceptions to that were right-wingers in the UK (48 per cent were concerned) and Polish people of any political persuasion, ranging from 37 per cent on the right to 46 per cent on the left.

The most concerned about climate change in Europe were left-wingers in Spain (90), right-wingers in Spain (87) and Dutch left-wingers (81).

Eighty-six per cent of left-wing Americans viewed climate change as a major threat, compared to 31 per cent on the right. In Canada, the split was 86 to 50.