Pluralities and Suspending Parliament

An article in The Telegraph claims that: “54 per cent of British adults think Parliament should be prorogued to prevent MPs stopping a no-deal Brexit.”

This article looks at the survey behind that claim.

Question Wording

ComRes conducted a survey of 2,011 GB adults via an internet panel, between 9th and 11th August 2019. This survey was sponsored by The Telegraph.

The article’s headline was:

Boris Johnson has public’s support to shut down Parliament to get Brexit over line, exclusive poll suggests

The polling question is worded somewhat differently:

Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Boris needs to deliver Brexit by any means, including suspending parliament if necessary, in order to prevent MPs from stopping it

Learning to read data tables is valuable. (Image: ComRes)

This question wording is more elaborate than a simpler statement about support for suspending or ‘proroguing’ Parliament.

This statement about delivering the policy of exiting the EU — and the lengths (“by any means”) that the Prime Minister “needs to deliver” that policy. “Suspending parliament if necessary” (that is, in extremis) is not the same thing as thinking that prorogation “should” be done.