Is Britain a nation of conspiracy theorists?

Ellen Manning
Extinction Rebellion climate change protesters briefly block the road in the City of London, Thursday, April 25, 2019. The non-violent protest group, Extinction Rebellion, is seeking negotiations with the government on its demand to make slowing climate change a top priority. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
One in four Brits think the threat of climate change is exaggerated, a new poll has revealed (Picture: AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

For every major event in world history, there are plenty of conspiracy theories associated with it.

But how popular are these conspiracy theories and how many people actually subscribe to them?

According to a new YouGov study on the subject, Brits appear to be fans of conspiracy theories, with one in four thinking the threat of climate change is exaggerated and one in six believing the moon landings were staged.

The topic is the subject of the latest episode of Yahoo UK’s podcast ‘Britain Is a Nation Of...’.

Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin Aldrin Jr. appeared in a cheerful mood as they left the Manned Spacecraft Operations Building to enter the transfer van that takes them to Pad 39 where they will enter their spacecraft looking forward to a moon landing, July 16, 1969, Cape Kennedy, Fla. (AP Photo)
The moon landings is another subject of conspiracy theories (Picture: AP)

The YouGov poll asked Britons about everything from climate change to creationism.

Among its findings, it revealed that a considerable number of people think the threat of climate change is over-exaggerated, especially older people, with nearly a third (32%) of those aged 55 and above doubting the seriousness of the issue.

Listen to "Britain Is A Nation Of..." on iTunes, Spotify, or aCast

The poll also revealed that plenty of Brits think vaccines have harmful effects which aren’t being revealed to the public - despite scientific research showing that they are safe.

One on the most famous moments in history - the moon landing - is also the subject of a conspiracy theory, the poll revealed, with one in six Brits (16%) thinking it was ‘probably’ or definitely staged.

FILE - In this March 27, 2019, file photo, a woman receives a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine at the Rockland County Health Department in Pomona, N.Y. Measles cases in the U.S. this year have climbed to the highest level in 25 years, according to preliminary figures, a resurgence attributed largely to misinformation about vaccines. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
Vaccines are the subject of conspiracy theories, with one in five Brits thinking it’s probably or definitely true that vaccinations have harmful effects which are not being fully disclosed (Picture: AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Other conspiracy theories covered in the poll include the theory that the Earth is flat rather the round - the least popular on the survey.

Another theory has a religious link, with one in seven Britons (14%) thinking it is probably or definitely the case that the universe was created by God in seven days, and evolution was just part of his creation plan.

This survey was made possible by YouGov’s panel of 6 million respondents. Join the trend and share your opinions with the world today.

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