Politicians top list of Britons’ biggest fears

Politicians scare British people more than heights, clowns and drowning, according to a poll revealing the country’s biggest fears.

In the run-up to Halloween, the gift retailer Clintons has compiled its annual fear index. Politicians have come out top, with more than half (56%) of those surveyed saying they are scared by their elected representatives.

Although traditional fears such as heights (39%), spiders (33%) and clowns (28%) also ranked highly, the presence of Brexit (28%), debt (17%) and North Korea (11%) shows that real-world worries are beginning to eclipse imaginary fears.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

It is also the first time that a form of social anxiety, FOMO, or fear of missing out, polled higher than horror movies.

Tim Fairs, VP Marketing & eCommerce at Clintons, said: “It’s extraordinary that people are more afraid of Prime Minister’s Questions and Question Time than they are of The Exorcist.”

Clintons fear index top 14:

1. 56% - Politicians
2. 39% - Heights
3. 33% - Spiders
4. 28% - Evil Clowns
5. 28% - Brexit
6. 25% - FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)
7. 22% - Drowning
8. 17% - Coriander
9. 17% - Debt
10. 17% - Needles
11. 11% - North Korea
12. 6% - Flying
13. 6% - Herds of Cows
14. 4% - Horror Movies