45% in favour of capital punishment, down from 51% in 2010, says YouGov poll to mark 50th anniversary of last executions

A YouGov poll shows that fewer than half of respondents would support reintroduction of the death penalty in the UK for murder. Of almost 2,000 people questioned, 45% were in favour of capital punishment – which represents a fall from 51% in a similar poll four years ago.

Conducted to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the last executions, the poll shows opposition to reintroduction is strong (52%) among 18- to 24-year-olds. Overall, 39% were against the death penalty, while 17% were undecided. The strongest support for reintroduction was among Ukip voters, the over-60s and those in lower social grades.

There was an equal split (42% each) in respect of whether it was a good or bad thing that Britain had abolished the death penalty, while 16% did not know. More than half (57%) of 18- to 24-year-olds thought abolition was a good thing.

Less than half (45%) of those questioned believed executing murderers deterred others from committing murder. But 41% disagreed that it was a deterrent, with the remaining 13% answering they did not know.

Slightly more (42%) believed spending life in prison with no possibility of parole was worse than being executed (40%).

Questioned about whether they approved of methods of execution, 51% either strongly approved or tended to approve of lethal injection, 25% of the electric chair, 23% of hanging, 19% by gas chamber, 17% by firing squad, and 9% by beheading.