New YouGov poll reveals the truth about public attitudes to the badger cull
A new YouGov poll has showed that while 34 per cent of people oppose a badger cull, the remaining 66 per cent either support (29%), don’t know (22%) or have no strong feelings (15%) about a cull.
Importantly, the survey also revealed that more than a quarter of people (27%) opposed to a cull would change their mind if it meant TB did not spread to other areas of the country. Only two per cent of 1,763 people asked considered a badger cull to be one of the most important issues facing the country at the moment.
The NFU has welcomed the new report. Vice President Adam Quinney said: “The findings of this survey by YouGov show that the majority of people, 66 per cent, either support the cull, have no strong feeling or simply don’t know.
“The results also show that a badger cull is not a big issue for the vast majority of the British public. But to the thousands of farming families living with the constant threat of TB and its devastating effects on their businesses and families, tackling this disease is the most important issue in their lives.
“More than 38,000 cattle were compulsorily slaughtered in Great Britain in 2012 in the fight against TB and we must take action now.
“A cull is not about wiping out badgers. It is about reducing TB in areas where it is endemic. This will ensure this terrible disease doesn’t spread to areas of the country that are currently clear of it.
“Farmers are already playing their part in tackling TB. Robust new on-farm rules were introduced in January 2013 as part of the Government’s TB eradication plan, which aims to tackle all aspects of TB infection in the countryside. These rules followed the introduction of additional cattle controls, more pre-movement testing and increased on-farm biosecurity measures last July.
“But if we are to successfully tackle TB action has to be taken to deal with the reservoir of disease in our wildlife. Evidence from countries such as Ireland and New Zealand shows that when all fronts of the disease are tackled at the same time a significant reduction in TB can be achieved.”
The YouGov poll result was backed up by a separate survey carried out for The Grocer earlier this month which showed that 55 per cent of consumers accept the cull is necessary or support it as long as it is done humanely. The survey also showed that only 4.5 per cent of shoppers mentioned the badger cull unprompted when asked about controversial issues facing the dairy industry.
- To find out more about TB visit the TB Free England website here: http://www.tbfreeengland.co.uk/home/
- All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov plc. Total sample size was 1,763 English and Welsh adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between May 9 and 10 2013. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all English and Welsh adults (aged 18+). More information about the YouGov survey can be found here: http://yougov.co.uk/
- Respondents were asked: ‘Which of the following do you think are the most important issues facing the country at this time. Please tick up to five.’ People were allowed to give up to five answers from a list of 15 topics. The results were the economy (77%), immigration and asylum (64%), health (45%), Europe (37%), pensions (35%), education (28%), crime (26%) tax (25%), the environment (16%), family life and childcare (16%), bedroom tax (15%), Afghanistan (11%), transport (10%), same sex marriage (6%), the badger cull (2%), none of these (0%), and don’t know (3%).
- The question asked by YouGov was: ‘Would you support or oppose the culling of badgers, as part of a range of measures and in specific infected areas, in an attempt to control bovine TB?’ The results were: Support (29%), Neither (15%), Oppose (34%), Don’t know (22%).
- More information about The Grocer survey can be found here: http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/topics/badger-cull-shoppers-think-low-milk-prices-matter-more/343586.article
- New Zealand has seen a 94 per cent reduction in TB since it started culling possums in the early 1990s.
- The Irish Government has been conducting a badger control programme for the past 13 years. The number of cows testing positive to the TB test has fallen by a third during the past three years.
