CaribPR Wire

LONDON, May 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ – Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas and Jamaica would vote to become republics in a referendum tomorrow, according to new research from Lord Ashcroft Polls. The other five countries in the Caribbean region where King Charles is head of state would choose to remain constitutional monarchies.

LONDON, May 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ – Belize would vote to keep the monarchy in a referendum tomorrow, according to new polling from Lord Ashcroft. However, six countries – including three in the Caribbean – would vote to become republics tomorrow, according to the survey.

Findings from the survey include:

• 48% of Belizeans said they would vote to keep the monarchy in a referendum tomorrow, while 43% would vote to become a republic. 9% said they didn’t know or would not vote.
• 52% said they thought a referendum tomorrow would result in Belize staying with the Crown, while 43% thought the country would choose to become a republic. However, 48% thought the country would choose to be a republic if a referendum were held in 10 years’ time, compared to 39% saying they thought Belize would still choose the monarchy.
• Lord Ashcroft’s polling found six countries where more said they would vote to become a republic tomorrow than to keep the monarchy. Three were in the Caribbean – Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas and Jamaica – plus Australia, Canada and the Solomon Islands.
• 71% of Belizeans voting to stay with the Crown said the monarchy was a good thing for the country; the remainder said either that the alternative they ended up with would probably be worse (14%) or that the process of changing would be too disruptive (15%).
• 95% of those saying they would vote to become a republic said this would have real, practical benefits for Belize. Only 4% said the monarchy was wrong in principle and should be replaced whether there are practical benefits or not. 74% of pro-republic voters said the monarchy should never have been part of how Belize was governed; 24% said it had been good for the country in the past but makes no sense today. 86% of them said they had been happy to continue with the monarchy under Queen Elizabeth, but now it was time for change.
• 61% of Belizeans, including 93% of pro-republic voters, agreed that “in an ideal world we wouldn’t have the monarchy in Belize, but there are more important things for us to deal with.”
• Two thirds (66%) of Belizeans agreed that the monarchy “might seem a strange system in this day and age, but it works”. Just over half (53%), though only 19% of pro-republic voters, said the King can unite everyone in the country no matter who they voted for.
• 60% said the royal family should be scaled down and its costs significantly reduced. 57% said it needed to modernise in order to survive.
• Asked to choose between the two statements, 57% said they saw the monarchy as a valuable force for stability and continuity; 43% saw it as part of a colonial history that has no place in Belize today.
• By just 51% to 49%, Belizeans said they thought the King and the royal family care a lot about Belize. By the same margin, they said the royal family did a better job of connecting with ordinary people than elected politicians.
• 58% of Belizeans said the monarchy made them feel warmer towards the UK, and 42% less warm. 52% said they thought becoming a republic would weaken ties with the UK, and 70% said they would want to remain part of the Commonwealth if Belize became a republic.

510 adults in Belize were interviewed online in in February and March 2023. A total of 22,701 adults 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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