September 1st, 2020, Connor Ibbetson
Majority of adults in nearly all English counties would strongly support a local lockdown in their area
When we asked the British public on July 31st whether they supported the local lockdown measures placed on Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and other areas, 83% said they did. However, which areas would be willing to lock themselves down if needed? YouGov Profiles lets us take a county-level look at what English adults think.
Where is support highest?
Adults were asked if they would either strongly support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose having new lockdown rules imposed in their area if cases rose again. The results adults show a clear willingness by the English to accept additional lockdown measures if needed.
The majority of adults in all English counties, bar just five, said they support local lockdowns, with support for such measures highest in Northumberland (78%), closely followed by Cheshire (68%) and East Sussex (66%).
In July it was announced that due to a rise in cases Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and parts of West Yorkshire would be subject to additional lockdown rules, including a ban on people meeting indoors. However, while among the least likely to do so, a plurality of adults in each of these counties still strongly support local lockdown measures.
Where is opposition to local lockdowns highest?
With most English counties strongly supporting local lockdowns, are there any areas with substantial opposition?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, one in ten adults (10%) in West Yorkshire say they are strongly opposed to a local lockdown in their area. However, opposition to local lockdowns is actually higher in the South West of England.
Approaching one in seven (13%) adults in Bristol would be strongly opposed to a local lockdown in their area, making the City of Bristol the most likely to be strongly opposed. A similar number of adults in Shropshire (12%) are also strongly opposed to local lockdowns, as are 10% of those in Wiltshire.