The deadly terror attack at London Bridge has moved security to the top of undecided voters’ election concerns, according to BritainThinks.
The London-based opinion and behaviour research body’s associate director Tom Clarkson said he noticed a marked difference in comments from members of the public yet to decide how they will cast their vote since the weekend’s terror attack which killed seven people.
“Many swing voters have suggested that security and terrorism are now the most important issue determining how they will vote on Thursday,” he told The Guardian.
This shift in attitude points to “a greater belief that [terror attacks] are an ongoing challenge for the country, rather than just a terrible one-off event”, Clarkson added. He noted Saturday night’s attack “prompted far more comments around the political response to the threat of terrorism” compared to the bombing of Manchester Arena last month.
The attack on Saturday “appear[ed] to be confirming swing voters’ existing viewpoints’ regarding the party that they were leaning towards”, Clarkson said.
Despite fierce campaigning on security from the Tories, who have sought to highlight Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s voting record on terror legislation, the issue did not seem to favour either party, with public opinion divided on Prime Minister Theresa May’s performance as home secretary.
Cambridge voter Sade slammed how “terror suspects are still allowed to travel to high-risk countries and return to the UK unchecked” despite the Conservatives having “had several years to implement their policies”.
“Also our current strategies aren’t deterring or indeed preventing radicalisation,” she added.
But for Paul in Hartlepool, who said he is backing the Tories, the attack in London “make[s] it all the more important to elect a strong leader who is willing to fight for our country and way of life”.
“Policies on immigration are my main concern at this point,” Hartlepool voter Stephanie told the focus group, stating: “Three terrorist attacks in three months is more than enough to prompt some major change.”