The findings were revealed by a King’s College London cluster analysis, that groups people into distinct segments of the population: The Accepting, The Suffering and The Resisting. This is based on previously published data from a survey by Ipsos MORI of 2,250 adults from April 1-3. The report categorises members of the population according how they are responding to the COVID-19 crisis and related lockdown measures.

The three “clusters” of the UK population have been identified using a statistical technique called k-means clustering, which groups people who have similar characteristics together.

Members of the three groups are distinguished by their levels of support for the lockdown measures, as well as their compliance with them, how well they are coping, the extent to which they are following the guidance, and their expectations about how those circumstances will change.

Of those ‘resisting’ the lockdown, 57 percent voted Remain in the Brexit referendum, with 43 percent voting Leave.

They also voted Labour over the Tories by 35 percent to 22 percent.

The Resisting are 10 times more likely than other groups to say they have met with friends or family outside their home, have them visit them at home.

They are also around 17 times more likely to have gone to work or left their home to go out despite experiencing symptoms known to be associated with coronavirus.

This means they are breaking strict official guidance issued by Boris Johnson and his Government five weeks ago.

Whilst the Resisting are less likely to follow these Government recommendations, the majority are taking recommended steps.

For example, the study found 78 percent of the public are washing their hands more often for 20 seconds, nearly three quarters (73 percent) are covering their mouth when coughing, and 69 percent are avoiding close contact with someone who is infected.

However, less then three quarters are following official social distancing guidance and remaining two metres away from people outside their home, while 77 percent are avoiding public places where groups of people may gather.

The Resisting finished bottom in all of these categories when compared to the Accepting and Suffering groups.

More than half (58 percent) of those resisting also think too much fuss is being made about the risk of coronavirus, compared with just 10 percent and seven percent who feel the same among the other two respective clusters.

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Fifteen percent of the Resisting also said they have or have had a confirmed case of coronavirus, compared to just one percent of both the Accepting and Suffering.

Of those ‘suffering’, the majority (46 percent to 35 percent) also voted Remain.

It is only when analysing those ‘accepting’ the conditions that a majority for Leave emerges.

Of those, 47 percent voted Leave compared with 39 percent voting Remain.

Forty percent voted Tory and just 21 percent Labour.

The King’s College London said in the report: “It is worth noting that the Resisting are 15 times more likely than the other groups to say they have or have had a confirmed case of coronavirus, and are more likely to be unsure but think they have or had it.

“If true, and many more in this group have had the virus and are now immune, this may have affected their behaviour and adherence to official guidance and the lockdown measures.

“However, it may also be that members of this group who describe themselves as having had “confirmed” cases of coronavirus are mistaken – and that this mistaken belief is leading them to take risks.

“Given the dates of fieldwork, it would be surprising if so many of them had actually been tested for coronavirus.”

Among the majority of those resisting, more than a third (36 percent) said they are finding the lockdown measures extremely difficult to cope with, compared with 22 percent and just six percent among the Suffering and Accepting respectively.

The shocking study comes with the Government set to decide whether it will begin gradually lifting lockdown measures that have now been in force for five weeks.

Boris Johnson returned to work on Monday after himself recovering from coronavirus, but speaking outside 10 Downing Street on Monday, warned against lifting the lockdown measures too early.

The Prime Minister said: “We simply cannot spell out now how fast or slow or even when those changes will be made, though clearly the Government will be saying much more about this in the coming days.

“I want to serve notice now that these decisions will be taken with the maximum possible transparency and I want to share all our working and our thinking, my thinking, with you the British people.

“Of course we will be relying as ever on the science to inform us, as we have from the beginning.”

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