UK votes to scrap faith school funding and put domestic spending first

The most striking result of the day was the comprehensive rejection of state funding for faith schools. The UK voted by better than two to one to end the arrangement that has shaped English education for generations, with every age group turning against it.

The verdicts

Should the UK spend more on domestic issues than international commitments? saw near-unanimous backing, with the country choosing a UK-first approach by a landslide of almost nine to one. Only the over-65s, shaped by postwar global commitments, showed any real reluctance.

Should nuclear power be expanded? produced the nearest thing to consensus the energy debate ever delivers, with voters backing more reactors and small modular reactors by better than four to one.

Should the UK celebrate its history more? cut through the usual culture-war tensions. Four in five voters wanted greater national pride in British history, a decisive win that crossed the age divide.

Should UK financial regulators take a more proactive stance on AI risks? saw the country firmly choose precaution over unfettered innovation, backing tighter guardrails by better than three to one.

Is the £2 bus fare cap worth the £500M a year cost? split the country less neatly than the headline suggests. Two in three voters backed keeping the cheaper fares, though the 55-64s — those most likely to be commuting — turned against the subsidy that everyone else welcomed.

Should the UK recast its fiscal rules to fund higher defence spending? passed comfortably, with the chamber backing rewritten rules to pay for rearmament by nearly two to one. Curiously, it was the youngest voters who proved most sceptical.

Should disabled parking be limited to people with a physical disability? passed narrowly after a sharp gender split. Men favoured tightening Blue Badge rules while women resisted, reflecting the continuing debate over hidden disabilities.

Should university tuition fees be abolished? carried the day, but not along the expected lines. The youngest voters and pensioners drove the yes vote, while those in their late twenties to early forties — still repaying their own loans — split most evenly.

Should the UK adopt a structured cross-government strategy for digital sovereignty? passed by better than two to one, though the 35-44s showed the least enthusiasm, splitting almost down the middle on treating tech dependence as a strategic risk.

Should Andy Burnham reform UK immigration rules to make them more welcoming to skilled workers? produced an odd, non-linear age pattern. Support rose and fell across the decades, with the 55-64s most resistant, yet the proposal still carried by a clear margin.

Should the UK ban social media for children under 16? failed by a narrow eight points. The chamber broadly agreed that any such ban would prove unenforceable, an argument that mattered more than age or principle.

Voting continues today on fresh questions.

Have your say

Every verdict above was decided by people like you. See the full results →

Today's questions are already live. Cast your vote — or create an account and be counted.