|  | | Friday, 18 July | | | Most Britons support fines for foul language | | | | Thanet District Council has revealed plans to tackle anti-social behaviour, which include fines of £100 for anyone who persists in using foul language after being asked to stop by a police or council officer | |
| | While previous proposals in this vein were dropped as a result of opposition by the Free Speech Union, today’s poll finds most Britons in favour (54%) | |
| | | | Tory voters stand out as the biggest enthusiasts, with 72% supporting such fines, compared to 51-55% among Labour, Lib Dem and Reform UK voters | |
| | | | | | | | German chancellor Friedrich Merz has accepted accusations from the US that Europe has been ‘free-riding’ off American defence spending, and says the continent must do more to fund its own security | |
| | The public are more likely than not to agree with the chancellor’s assessment, with (34%) of Britons saying that, since the Cold War ended, European countries haven’t been contributing their fair share when it comes to defences issues that affect both the US and Europe | |
| | Only 24% believe that Europe has been paying its way, although 42% of Britons aren’t sure one way or the other | |
| | Conservative and Reform voters are particularly likely to say Europe hasn’t been pulling its weight, at 50% and 59% respectively. Labour and Lib Dem voters are split, with approximately three in ten standing on either side of the argument | |
| | | | | | | | Yesterday the government announced that the voting age would be lowered to 16, with proponents often justifying the decision by aligning it with other legal rights and obligations that affect young people from that age | |
| | One such person is Angela Rayner, who writing in The Times suggested “By law, they can get married and serve our country in the armed forces — but, unlike their peers in Scotland and Wales, 16-year-olds in England and Northern Ireland can’t vote. Why not?” | |
| | There’s just one problem with that – 16 year olds can’t get married in England and Wales, following a change in the law in 2023 raising the limit to 18. Rayner should not feel bad, however, as our poll today shows that a plurality of Britons (47%) make the same mistake | |
| | Only 29% correctly gave the marriage age limit as 18, while 25% are unsure | |
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