New research reveals that only one-fifth of British young people think positively of Sir Winston Churchill. This indicates a significant decline in favourability over the last two decades, despite the fact that the former Prime Minister was voted the greatest Briton in a nationwide poll in 2002.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A survey of nearly half a million people was conducted 20 years ago to determine the country’s 100 most influential people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sir Winston won by 56,000 votes over the runner-up, engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the run-up to the election, former Northern Ireland Secretary Dr. Mo Mowlam told television viewers that “if Britain – its eccentricity, big-heartedness, and strength of character – has to be summed up in one person, it has to be Winston Churchill.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More than two decades later, new polling indicates that these remarks are not representative of the national mindset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According\u00a0to\u00a0a\u00a0new\u00a0poll\u00a0commissioned\u00a0by\u00a0think\u00a0tank\u00a0Policy\u00a0Exchange,\u00a0only 20%\u00a0of\u00a018-24\u00a0year\u00a0olds\u00a0have\u00a0a\u00a0favourable\u00a0opinion\u00a0of\u00a0Sir\u00a0Winston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chris McGovern, Chairman of the Campaign for Real Education and advisor to the Department of Education, blamed both previous and current governments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He claimed that the new polling revealed ignorance and was a “victory for the mob.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The curriculum does not require the teaching of Winston Churchill, or WWI or WWII – that is why I was a dissenting voice,” Mr McGovern said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe number of people who are not sympathetic to Churchill is growing. That represents a victory for history teachers who don\u2019t, on the whole, treat Churchill with any sympathy or support; they don\u2019t regard him as a heroic figure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf he\u2019s taught at all, it is often in terms of the starvation and hunger in India and his racist views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe views in the poll are based on ignorance. In the Second World War, he did more than anyone else to save this country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
New research reveals that only one-fifth of British young people think positively of Sir Winston Churchill. This indicates a significant decline in favourability over the last two decades, despite the … <\/p>\n