LORD ASHCROFT POLLS : AHEAD OF CORONATION, NEW POLL FINDS CANADA WOULD VOTE TO BECOME A REPUBLIC - BUT MOST SAY OTHER ISSUES MATTER MORE

LONDON, May 3, 2023 /CNW/ -- More Canadians would vote to become a republic than remain a constitutional monarchy in a referendum tomorrow, according to new research from Lord Ashcroft Polls. A majority said they would prefer a Canadian head of state even if they disagreed with what he or she stood for, and nearly two thirds saw the monarchy as part of a colonial past that had no place in Canada today. However, nearly 8 in 10 said that while they would not have the monarchy in an ideal world, there were more important things for Canada to deal with.

Findings from the survey include:

• 47% Canadians said they would vote to become a republic in a referendum tomorrow, while 23% would vote to remain a constitutional monarchy. 3 in 10 said they didn't know or would not vote.
• 40% thought Canadians as a whole would choose a republic in a referendum tomorrow, while 36% thought the country would opt for the status quo. A majority (54%) thought the country would choose to become a republic if a referendum were held in 10 years' time.
• 48% of those voting for the status quo said the monarchy was a good thing for Canada and should be kept. Almost as many thought either that "the alternative we end up with would probably be worse (22%) or that "the process of changing from the monarchy would probably be too disruptive" (25%).
• 54% of pro-republic voters said a republic would bring real, practical benefits to Canada. 38% said the monarchy was wrong in principle and should be replaced whether there were practical benefits or not. 54% of pro-republic voters said the monarchy was good for Canada in the past but makes no sense today; 41% thought the monarchy should never have been part of the way Canada was governed.
• Canadians were more likely to see the monarchy as "part of a colonial past that has no place in Canada today" (64%) than "a valuable force for stability and continuity" (36%). 77% agreed that the royal family should be scaled down and its costs significantly reduced; the same proportion said it needs to modernise to have any chance of surviving.
• 79% of Canadians ? including 85% of those saying they would vote for a republic ? agreed that "in an ideal world we wouldn't have the monarchy, but there are more important things for the country to deal with."
• In focus groups, many said they felt the monarchy had no relevance to Canada today. However, many worried about the cost of changing, the upheaval of re-writing the constitution, and the diversion from immediate issues like the cost of living and the environment.
• Asked where their sympathies lay between Prince Harry and other royals, 26% of Canadians said they felt more sympathy for Prince Harry and Meghan, and 9% for the King and Prince William; 15% had sympathy for both, and 45% for neither.
• As well as Canada, the polling found five countries where the King is head of state in which more said they would vote to become a republic than to keep the monarchy: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Jamaica and the Solomon Islands.

2,020 adults in Canada were interviewed online in February and March 2023, and four focus groups were held in Ontario and Quebec. A total of 22,701 people were interviewed in the 15 countries in which King Charles is head of state. The full report, Uncharted Realms: The Future of the Monarchy in the UK and Around the World, together with full data for each country, is available for free at LordAshcroftPolls.com

LORD ASHCROFT KCMG PC is an international businessman, philanthropist, pollster and author. He is a former Deputy Chairman of the UK Conservative Party and honorary Chairman of the International Democrat Union. His recent political books include Going For Broke: The Rise of Rishi Sunak, First Lady: Intrigue at the Court of Carrie and Boris Johnson, and Red Knight: The Unauthorised Biography of Sir Keir Starmer.

LordAshcroftPolls.com  //  LordAshcroft.com  //  Twitter/Facebook: @LordAshcroft

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SOURCE Lord Ashcroft Polls (LordAshcroftPolls.com)