BBC Victoria Derbyshire “No Platform” Poll

A majority of UK university students support the NUS having a “No Platforming” policy. Around two thirds (63%) say that the NUS is right to have a “No Platforming” policy and half (54%) think the NUS is right to enforce the policy against individuals they believe threaten a safe space.

 

Q. For each of the following pairs of statements, which comes closest to your views?

	%
The NUS is right to have a “No Platforming” policy	63%
The NUS is wrong to have a “No Platforming” policy	14%

Base: All UK university students (n=1,001)

 

• Just less than two thirds of UK university students (63%) believe that the NUS is right to have a “No Platforming” policy.
  • Female university students are more likely than their male counterparts to say that the NUS is right to have a “No Platforming” policy (69% vs. 55% respectively).

• Just one in seven (14%) believe that the NUS is wrong to have a “No Platforming” policy.
  • Students attending a Russell Group University (21%) are most likely to think this.

 

Q. For each of the following pairs of statements, which comes closest to your views?

	%
By banning people like Germaine Greer and Peter Tatchell, the NUS’s “No Platforming” policy has gone too far	19%
The NUS are right to enforce the “No Platforming” policy against individuals they believe threaten a safe space	54%
Don’t know	27%

 

Base: All UK university students (n=1,001)

 

• One in five UK university students (19%) think that by banning people like Germaine Greer and Peter Tatchell, the NUS’s “No Platforming” policy has gone too far.
  • Students attending a Russell Group university (29%) are more likely than those at a pre-1992 university (15%), post-1992 university (16%), or any other institution (5%) to say that by banning people like Germaine Greer and Peter Tatchell, the NUS’s “No Platforming” policy has gone too far.
• Around half of UK university students (54%) believe that the NUS are right to enforce the “No Platforming” policy against individuals they believe threaten a safe space.
  • Three in five female students (59%) believe that the NUS is right to enforce the policy against individuals they believe threaten a safe space, compared to only half of male students (48%).

 

Date Published: 25th April 2016

Categories: Education | GB | Social

Methodology

ComRes interviewed 1,001 UK university students online between 14^th and 18^th April 2016. Data were weighted by course year, university type and gender. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.