Where can I find datasets or polling archives on British Muslims' views of sharia law?
Executive summary
If you want datasets and polling archives about British Muslims’ views on sharia, established sources include long-running academic reviews and major polls cited in media: Policy Exchange/ICM and GfK NOP/Channel 4 are frequently referenced, and an Ipsos review catalogs many surveys and gaps in coverage [1] [2] [3]. Recent single polls (e.g., JL Partners/Henry Jackson Society, March 2024) are reported in outlets but should be cross-checked for methodology and sample details in the original poll deck when available [4] [5].
1. Where to start: academic reviews and government/think‑tank reports
Begin with methodological overviews: Ipsos’s review of survey research on Muslims in Great Britain compiles what’s been done, points out fragmented coverage and topic-by-topic gaps, and is a good index to prior polls and their limitations [3]. The independent government review into sharia in England and Wales also contextualises what “sharia” means in UK policy debates and links to empirical work on sharia councils [6].
2. Major historic polls frequently cited in media and scholarship
Several high-profile surveys are repeatedly referenced: a 2006 GfK NOP poll (reported by Channel 4/FactCheck) found roughly 30–40% saying they would prefer to live under some form of sharia; the 2016 ICM/Policy Exchange “Unsettled Belonging” survey of ~3,000 British Muslims reported around 40% supporting “aspects” of sharia with 16% “strongly” supporting particular introductions [2] [7] [1]. These are often the data points journalists reuse, so consult the original poll write-ups for question wording and sample frames [7] [1].
3. Recent polls and the need to inspect original datasets
News outlets reported a March 2024 JL Partners poll for the Henry Jackson Society that claimed about 32% of British Muslims found implementation of sharia “desirable” and other contested results; these secondary reports are useful leads but you should obtain the HJS deck or JL Partners full questionnaire and weighting to evaluate how questions were asked and who was sampled [4] [5]. Media headlines sometimes amplify single-poll findings without full methodological transparency [4].
4. Media reporting vs. nuance in questionnaires
Many discrepancies in headline figures come from differences in question framing (e.g., “aspects” of sharia vs. a desire for national implementation) and population sampled (age groups, location, religiosity). Policy Exchange’s report noted that question wording matters and that “sharia in the broadest sense” generated different responses than concrete legal scenarios [1]. Always read the exact question text in poll appendices before treating percentages as equivalent [1].
5. Archives and where to access original material
Use the following trail to locate primary data: (a) polling firms’ own archives (ICM, GfK NOP, JL Partners, Survation) and their published technical appendices cited in Channel 4/FactCheck and other reports [2] [8]; (b) think‑tank publications such as Policy Exchange’s “Unsettled Belonging” and the HJS slide deck for 2024 [7] [5]; (c) literature reviews like Ipsos’s review which list past studies and can point to stored reports [3]. When datasets are not publicly available, the review or press release will usually note that limitation [3].
6. Watch for agendas and partisan amplification
Some outlets and groups have clear editorial or political leanings that shape presentation: right‑wing tabloids and some commentators emphasize high percentages to stoke alarm, while think‑tanks vary in purpose and audience; the Henry Jackson Society’s deck was reported in GB News and similar outlets with alarmist framing, so treat secondary coverage as interpretation rather than raw data [4] [9]. Policy Exchange itself highlighted question‑wording sensitivity and urged cautious interpretation [1] [7].
7. What the sources agree — and where they diverge
Across sources there is consensus that sizable minorities of British Muslims support some form of sharia in particular contexts (family law, finance), but the magnitude varies by year, age cohort and question wording [1] [7] [2]. Older, widely cited figures (e.g., “four in ten”) derive from 2006–2016-era surveys and may not reflect current attitudes; Ipsos explicitly warns that available data do not give a complete picture and emphasize regional and demographic heterogeneity [3] [2].
8. Practical next steps for your research
Collect primary documents: download Policy Exchange’s 2016 report and appendices, the Ipsos review, Channel 4/NOP or GfK NOP materials, and the HJS/JL Partners deck; contact polling firms for technical appendices or datasets if you need reanalysis [7] [3] [8] [5]. Absent public datasets, rely on technical notes and treat headline percentages as conditional on phrasing and sample frame [1] [3].
Limitations: available sources in this briefing do not include raw microdata files for every poll, and some media reports omit full questionnaires and weighting details — verify each poll’s methodology in the original poll report before drawing firm conclusions [4] [1] [3].