Public feel politicians invent or exaggerate culture wars as a tactic, poll suggests | Politics News

More than half of people feel politicians are using so-called culture wars to distract from other issues, according to a survey which also found the term “woke” is increasingly seen as an insult.

Almost two thirds (62%) of those polled said politicians “invent or exaggerate” culture wars as a political tactic – up from less than half (44%) three years ago.

Just one in 10 people felt politicians who talk about divisions over cultural issues genuinely believe it is an important topic, with 56% feeling they are just trying to distract people from other important topics.

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The research, by King’s College London (KCL) and Ipsos UK, found that – ahead of a general election – the top issues people said would determine their vote include cost of living/inflation and the NHS and social care.

Third was the issue of Channel crossings.

But transgender rights and free speech were at the bottom of the list, with just 1% of people saying these issues would determine their vote.

The research also found a growing sense that culture wars are a serious problem for society and politics, with a majority (52%) now holding this view, up from 43% in 2020.

Professor Bobby Duffy, director of the policy institute at KCL, said: “The speed and scale of the UK’s adoption of ‘culture war’ issues and rhetoric in our media and politics has been one of the key trends of the last few years, and it has gone hand-in-hand with big shifts in public awareness and opinion.

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