One in four Britons believe in QAnon-linked theories, survey finds
One in four people in Britain agree with conspiracies propagated by QAnon, the global movement claiming there is a secret satanic network of child-abusing politicians and celebrities, a survey has found.
The research for Hope Not Hate also found that 17% of people questioned said they believed Covid-19 was intentionally released as part of a “depopulation plan” by the UN or “new world order”.
It found that QAnon, which originated in the US where the FBI has designated it as a potential terror threat, is making particular inroads among young people.
While 6% of those polled claimed to support QAnon, larger percentages supported broader, linked conspiracies. A quarter (25%) agreed that “secret satanic cults exist and include influential elites”. This rose to 35% among people aged 18-24. A similar proportion (26%) agreed that “elites in Hollywood, politics, the media and other powerful positions” are secretly engaging in large-scale child trafficking and abuse.
There was more support (29%) for the claim that there is “a single group of people who secretly control events and rule the world together” regardless of who is in government. This was believed by 42% of 25- to 34-year-olds. [Continue reading…]