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APPENDIX
Results of a survey by the British Institute of Public Opinion
FOR INTERNAL CIRCULATION ONLY
The following results are those of a survey completed on January 24, 1943 by the British Institute of Public Opinion. This survey was not sponsored by the Home Intelligence Division.
1.
What we are fighting for
Q. “Do you feel that you have a clear idea of what the war is all about - that is, what we are fighting for?
Yes
No
REASONS GIVEN
%
%
%
Total:
78
22
31
Justice for all nations: freedom from aggression, security: peace: right of self-determination for all nations.
Men
82
18
Women
73
27
Age groups:
21 - 29
70
30
22
To wipe out Nazis: prevent German world domination.
30 - 49
79
21
50 and over
78
22
6
Our existence.
Income groups:
Higher
91
9
5
Defending democracy.
Middle
86
14
Lower
74
26
5
Betterment of working classes.
4
Capitalism: imperialism: raw materials: national power politics.
2
Civilisation: decent things of life.
1
Four freedoms: Atlantic charter
2
Miscellaneous
78%
Of those who answered “No”, the majority gave one or other of two reasons for doing so. (a) They don't believe the Government's statements on its objects and purposes in the war. (b) “I knew at the beginning - we were defending Poland; but now it has become confused.”
2.
Attitude to the Government
Q. “Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the Government's conduct of the war?”
This question is repeated by B.I.P.O. at regular intervals, and in the appendix to our Weekly Report, of January 14, there appeared the results of replies from June 1941 to December 1942. The results for January this year show a slight decline in satisfaction since the previous month, though the figures are still considerably higher than any prior to November, 1942.
Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Don't know
%
%
%
%
%
%
Jan. '43
Dec. '42.
Jan. '43
Dec. '42
Jan. '43
Dec. '42
72
75
20
16
8
9
3.
Problems facing the Government
Q. “What do you think is the most important war problem the Government must solve during the next few months?”
%
30
Shipping losses: maintaining food supplies from abroad.
15
Invading the Continent: the second front.
6
Finishing off the war: speedy victory.
6
Organising man and woman power.
6
Maintaining adequate to food rations.
5
Production and organisation of resources.
5
Clearing up the North African situation.
4
Reconstruction and unemployment after the war.
2
Helping Russia with supplies.
11
Miscellaneous, including transport, housing, air raid defence, bombing Germany, co-ordination with the Allies.
10
No suggestions.
100%
Only on one previous occasion have
shipping losses
been the most prominent problem in the public mind - in March 1941, when the figure was 28%. On other occasions, the figure has ranged from 6 to 8%.
Similarly, on only one previous occasion has there been a high figure for
invading the continent
(August 1941 - 17%; otherwise 4 - 5%).
In the course of a year,
production problems
have fallen from 29% to 5%.
This is the first time that
reconstruction
has been mentioned by any significant percentage of people.
4.
Waste of Bread
Q. “Lord Woolton says that we must eat less bread. Do you think people will cut down voluntarily, or should there be rationing?”
Voluntarily
Rationing
Don't Know
%
%
%
Total:
47
42
11
Men
46
43
11
Women
48
41
11
Age groups:
21 - 29
43
42
15
30 - 49
45
44
11
50 and over
49
41
10
Income groups:
Higher
51
47
2
Middle
43
48
9
Lower
47
40
13
Rationing is favoured rather less by the lower income group than by the upper and middle groups; but, bearing in mind the importance of bread in the diet of working people, the difference is not large.
Reasons given by those who favoured rationing were these:-
Only rationing will prevent waste.
People will not listen to appeals.
Rationing is fairer.
2% were in favour of rationing only if it became “absolutely necessary”. 1% claimed to know of cases where bread was given to animals. 1% thought that voluntary schemes penalise conscientious people but “do not really get results”.
Those who favoured voluntary appeals gave the following reasons for this preference:-
People will listen to appeals if they are “pressed home”.
Bread is a staple article of diet among poor people; many workers take sandwiches for their meals; the needs of different families vary so much that rationing would be difficult; there is enough rationing already.
3% said they had already cut down bread consumption; 1% mentioned the success of the fuel economy campaign; 1% wanted punishment of bread wasters; and 1% mentioned waste in restaurants and camps as the first issue that should be tackled.
5.
The control of elementary schools
Q. “Some people say that all elementary schools should be taken over by local authorities. Others say the Churches should continue to manage some of them as they do now. Which do you think?”
