Voters agree with Lee Anderson about cracking down on crime

Lee Anderson, the recently-appointed Tory party deputy chairman, has sparked a political row with his comments on capital punishment. ‘Nobody has ever committed a crime after being executed. 100 per cent success rate,’ he said in an interview with The Spectator. Rishi Sunak says he disagrees, and is not in favour of the death penalty. But what do most people think?

Voters’ views on some issues, like Brexit, range widely and change over time. But attitudes towards crime, and what to do with criminals, appear to be far deeper-rooted. You can never be too tough on crime, is the verdict of many voters.

Last week, J.L. Partners asked British adults which punishment – from a fine to a prison sentence of more than 15 years – would be most suitable for 24 different crimes. On the graph below every punishment that involves jail time is a shade of red. Amber is community service, while green is a fine.