Here is what voters think about Nigel Farage’s HIV comments
Polling has found that the majority of voters support Nigel Farage’s comments about foreign people with HIV.
During the Leaders’ Debate on Thursday,the UKIP leader claimed: “There are 7000 diagnoses in this country every year for people who are HIV positive, but 60 percent of them are not for British nationals.
“You can come into Britain, from anywhere in the world, and get diagnosed with HIV, and get the anti-retroviral drugs which cost up to £25,000 per year per patient.”
His comments have been strongly condemned by the leaders of other parties and by HIV charities – while fact checkers pointed out his stat included non-British nationals who have contracted HIV in this country, and ignores the concept of herd immunity.
However, polling by YouGov for the Sunday Times has found that a majority of the general population still agree with the UKIP leader’s comments.
The pollster asked: “In the debate Nigel Farage highlighted the issue of immigrants with HIV coming to Britain and receiving treatment on the NHS.
“Thinking specifically about Nigel Farage’s comments, which of the following best reflects your view?”
The polling found that 52 percent of people supported Mr Farage’s stance, selecting: “Nigel Farage was right to raise this issue – immigrants with serious conditions like HIV are costing the health service a large amount of money”.
Just over a third were opposed, with 37 percent selecting: “Nigel Farage was just scaremongering – compared to the total cost of the NHS this is a drop in the ocean.”
96 percent of UKIPpers said their leader was right to raise the issue – and just 1 percent thought he was scaremongering.
64 percent of Tories said Mr Farage was right to raise the issue – compared to 37 percent for Labour and 30 percent for the Lib Dems..
Meanwhile, a similar number of people expressed support on a 5-year healthcare ban for new immigrants, with 50 percent in favour and 34 percent against
Predictably UKIP voters were again overwhelmingly in favour, with 89 percent in favour and just 5 percent against.
62 percent of Tory voters supported a ban, despite condemnation from Chancellor George Osborne – but half of Labour and Lib Dem voters were strongly opposed.
