Politicians top list of Britons’ biggest fears
MPs beat heights, spiders, clowns, Brexit, debt and fear of missing out
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.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
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.
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:
- 56% - Politicians
- 39% - Heights
- 33% - Spiders
- 28% - Evil Clowns
- 28% - Brexit
- 25% - FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)
- 22% - Drowning
- 17% - Coriander
- 17% - Debt
- 17% - Needles
- 11% - North Korea
- 6% - Flying
- 6% - Herds of Cows
- 4% - Horror Movies
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
John Prescott: was he Labour's last link to the working class?
Today's Big Quesiton 'A total one-off': tributes have poured in for the former deputy PM and trade unionist
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Last hopes for justice for UK's nuclear test veterans
Under the Radar Thousands of ex-service personnel say their lives have been blighted by aggressive cancers and genetic mutations
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will Donald Trump wreck the Brexit deal?
Today's Big Question President-elect's victory could help UK's reset with the EU, but a free-trade agreement with the US to dodge his threatened tariffs could hinder it
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Shale is crucial to the US economy'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
What is the next Tory leader up against?
Today's Big Question Kemi Badenoch or Robert Jenrick will have to unify warring factions and win back disillusioned voters – without alienating the centre ground
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Halloween has been steadily succumbing to the chronically online'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
What is Lammy hoping to achieve in China?
Today's Big Question Foreign secretary heads to Beijing as Labour seeks cooperation on global challenges and courts opportunities for trade and investment
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is Britain about to 'boil over'?
Today's Big Question A message shared across far-right groups listed more than 30 potential targets for violence in the UK today
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published