Wigan remains loyal to the Crown, new research shows

A survey carried out by the publisher UnHerd in association with pollster FocalData found support for the monarchy was still high across most of the country.

Other news: Bogus charity worker stole from Wigan pensionerBut it should be pointed out that the poll was taken before the scandal surrounding Prince Andrew and his involvement with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein flared up again in recent weeks.

Participants were asked how much they agreed with the statement “I am a strong supporter of the continued reign of the Royal Family”.

The responses were then analysed to create a model for each constituency, based on the characteristics of people living there, including age, voting record and employment status.

Of the four parliamentary constituencies that are in or cross over into Wigan, the most pro-monarchy was Bolton West – 56 per cent supported the monarchy, compared to 18 per cent who don’t, with the rest undecided.

Of these, 26 per cent strongly agree with the statement, while 30 per cent said they simply agree.

At the other end of the scale was Leigh. Here, just 51 per cent of people were pro-Crown, compared to 19 per cent who were not. The constituencies were ranked based on how many agree versus disagree.

Wigan has had a number of royal visits in recent years, including the Queen who visited Heinz and Leigh Sports Village, plus Princes Harry, Charles and, most recently, Edward. The

Prince of Wales attracted a particularly warm welcome when he went to Wigan Little Theatre, The Old Courts and Wigan Toffee Works.

Paul Embery, from UnHerd, said the results demonstrated a widening cultural schism between cities and the rest of the country, which pre-dates the turmoil caused by Brexit.

He said: “Though ostensibly about the Royal Family, the poll results highlight something more profound about our country. They illustrate the extent to which we have tipped into a very real cultural war, with competing values and priorities vying for ascendancy.

“Much of our political discourse and debate must now be seen through this prism. We had better get used to it.”