Poll Says 9% Of UK Voters Think GDP Is A Food Additive
Ryan Barrell— The Huffington Post UK
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Conservative Party Leader David Cameron during his visit to Spear Youth Training Centre in Hammersmith, London while on the General Election campaign trail.
Mark Large/PA Archive
A new survey has uncovered some disturbing trends among British voters, including a worrying lack of knowledge about what they're voting for.
Of the 2,000 people questioned, 22% who were intending to vote felt they didn't know enough to make an informed decision. A staggering 40% said they only understood the basics of politics and 16% said they had no idea at all.
In terms of age group, 18-24 year-olds were the most clued-up, with 15% understanding all the inner workings of our political system. Despite being the most likely to vote, the over-55s were the least knowledgeable on how things work.
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They also found 31% of voters don't know the difference between the Lords and the Commons, which makes it even more substantial that 59% of the voting population back Lords reform, according to a previous survey from 2012.
When things turn to the economy, the poll found 9% of voters mistaking GDP (Gross Domestic Product) for food additive MSG (Monosodium Glutamate), and 12% thought it was the same as a GPS (Global Positioning System).
Jeremy Yates-Round of Haynes Manuals, the company conducting the research, said: "With a General Election just around the corner it is more important than ever that we understand what it really means to be in the driving seat of the nation.
"This research shows that large numbers of the voting public don’t have a good understanding of how the country is run and that at present many won’t be making an informed decision in May."
Dr Kevin Albertson, co-author of the book and reader in economics at Manchester Metropolitan University Business School, said:
"It is surprising to see quite how disengaged much of the population is with politics and this certainly seems to stem from a lack of knowledge or interest in many of the key topics that affect our lives."
Compulsory voting between 18 and 70 years of age, but with optional voting for 16 and 17-year-olds. (credit:AFP via Getty Images)
Austria(02 of17)
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Voting in Austria starts at 16 years of age. (credit:DIETER NAGL via Getty Images)
Brazil(03 of17)
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Voting is available, and optional at the ages of 16 and 17, but compulsory between 18 and 70, provided you're not a military conscript, who aren't permitted to vote. (credit:EVARISTO SA via Getty Images)
Croatia(04 of17)
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The voting age in Croatia is 16 provided you're employed. Otherwise, you need to be 18 to be eligible. (credit:STRINGER via Getty Images)
Cuba(05 of17)
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In Cube the voting age is 16. (credit:STR via Getty Images)
Dominican Republic(06 of17)
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If you're married in the Dominican Republic, you are exempt from the minimum age, meaning you can cast your vote from 15 as a woman or 16 as a man (the legal age to marry). Otherwise, the voting age is 18. (credit:JUAN BARRETO via Getty Images)
Ecuador(07 of17)
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Voting is only compulsory between 18 and 65, but is legal on a voluntary basis from age 16. (credit:RODRIGO BUENDIA via Getty Images)
Guernsey(08 of17)
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Guernsey residents can vote from age 16. (credit:Encyclopaedia Britannica via Getty Images)
Indonesia(09 of17)
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In Indonesia, voting is legal from age 17. (credit:Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Isle of Man(10 of17)
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In the Isle of Man, as in Jersey and Guernsey, the voting age is 16. (credit:Hannah Peters via Getty Images)
Jersey(11 of17)
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Voters are eligible to vote from age 16. (credit:Peter Macdiarmid via Getty Images)
North Korea(12 of17)
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Voting is legal from 17 in North Korea, though for little purpose. The elections have one candidate on the ballot paper, and though voters are allowed to cross it out and suggest an alternative, the elections are considered flawed. (credit:Brendon Thorne via Getty Images)
Nicaragua(13 of17)
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In Nicaragua, voting starts at age 16. (credit:AFP via Getty Images)
Serbia(14 of17)
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If employed, citizens can cast their vote from age 16. Otherwise, they must wait until 18 years of age. (credit:ARMEND NIMANI via Getty Images)
Slovenia(15 of17)
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As with a few other countries, Slovenia's minimum voting age is 16 provided you're employed. If not, the minimum age is 18. (credit:JURE MAKOVEC via Getty Images)
Sudan(16 of17)
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In Sudan, voting is legal from 17 years of age. (credit:ASHRAF SHAZLY via Getty Images)
Timor-Leste(17 of17)
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In Timor-Leste the voting age is 17. (credit:MANAN VATSYAYANA via Getty Images)