Only 48 per cent now back the death penalty for ‘ some crimes ’ , down from 54 per cent in 2013 , according to a NatCen British Social Attitudes study . Public support for the death penalty has fallen below 50 per cent , a survey has found . Only 48 per cent now back the death penalty for ‘ some crimes ’ , down from 54 per cent in 2013 , according to a NatCen British Social Attitudes study . It is the first time that support has fallen below 50 per cent since NatCen began asking the public for its views on capital punishment in 1986 . Support for the death penalty stood at 74 per cent in 1986 but had fallen to 59 per cent by 1998 , according to the social research institute . The survey also found that at present Ukip voters are more likely to support the death penalty , with 75 per cent in favour . Rachel Ormston , co-head of social attitudes at NatCen , said : “ The big change in public attitudes to the death penalty came in the 1990s at a time when attitudes to a range of other issues , like same-sex relationships and sex before marriage were also liberalising . “ This more recent change is interesting because attitudes have stayed fairly steady for a number of years . “ It could be the continuation of this liberalising trend or , perhaps , a response to the shocking botched executions in the United States that were widely reported in April and July of last year. ” . Clare Algar , executive director of the legal charity Reprieve , said : “ This welcome finding finally debunks the myth that , given half the chance , the British people would vote to bring back hanging . “ In fact , the trend is clear . Brits in increasing numbers agree that the death penalty has no place in a civilised society . The firing squad execution chamber at the Utah State Prison in Draper , Utah , America . Utah 's governor signed a law that makes his state the only one to allow firing squads following botched lethal injections . “ Capital punishment has little to do with justice or crime deterrence , and all countries , including the UK , should be working towards global abolition. ” . In one incident in the US last April , 38-year-old convicted murderer Clayton Lockett died 43 minutes after his lethal injection process began in Oklahoma . In July of that year , another controversial US execution took place involving convicted killer Joseph Wood , 55 , who took two hours to die following the start of his lethal injection process at Florence State Prison in Arizona . The process should normally take around 10 minutes .
Only 48 per cent back capital punishment down from 54 per cent in 2013 . When records began in 1986 , 74 per cent supported the death penalty . Survey by NatCen found Ukip voters most likely to support the measure .