LORD ASHCROFT POLLS: NEW CORONATION POLL FINDS LEAD FOR REPUBLIC IN SOLOMON ISLANDS - PAPUA NEW GUINEA AND TUVALU WOULD VOTE TO STAY WITH THE CROWN

LONDON, May 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- More voters in the Solomon Islands would choose a republic in a referendum tomorrow than would stay with the Crown, according to new research from Lord Ashcroft Polls – while most in Papua New Guinea and Tuvalu say they would vote for their countries to remain constitutional monarchies.

Findings from the survey include:

• People in the Solomon Islands said they would vote to become a republic rather than remain a constitutional monarchy by 59% to 34%, with the remainder saying they didn't know or would not vote.
• Those in Papua New Guinea said they would choose to stay with the monarchy by 51% to 45%, and people in Tuvalu by 71% to 26%.
• Voters in Tuvalu and Papua New Guinea thought their countries would choose to stay with the monarchy if a referendum were held tomorrow or in 10 years' time. If a referendum were held in 50 years, Papua New Guineans thought their country would become a republic, but Tuvaluans thought they would still stay with the monarchy. Solomon Islanders thought their country would choose to become a republic in a referendum tomorrow.
• In the Solomon Islands, 47% of pro-republic voters said becoming a republic would bring real, practical benefits. 53% said the monarchy was wrong in principle and should be replaced whether there are practical benefits or not.
• 62% of respondents in Tuvalu and 67% in Papua New Guinea agreed that "in an ideal world we wouldn't have the monarchy, but there are more important things for the country to deal with." A smaller majority in the Solomon Islands (52%) agreed.
• 58% said they had a favourable view of King Charles in Papua New Guinea, as did 71% in Tuvalu but only 45% in the Solomon Islands.
• Majorities in Papua New Guinea (56%) and Tuvalu (75%) agreed that the King "can unite everyone in the country no matter who they voted for". Solomon Islanders disagreed by 56% to 44%.
• Asked to choose between two statements, 58% in Papua New Guinea and 71% in Tuvalu said they saw the monarchy as "a valuable force for stability and continuity"; 58% in the Solomon Islands saw the monarchy more as "part of a colonial past that has no place in the country today".
• Majorities in Papua New Guinea (53%) and Tuvalu (72%) said they thought the King and the royal family cared a lot about their respective countries. Only 38% in the Solomon Islands agreed.
• In all three countries, clear majorities (PNG 73%, Tuvalu 82%, Solomon Islands 80%) said that if their country became a republic they would want to remain part of the Commonwealth.

510 adults were interviewed online in Papua New Guinea, 310 in the Solomon Islands and 310 in Tuvalu 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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SOURCE Lord Ashcroft Polls (LordAshcroftPolls.com)