Ipsos Poll: Nearly Half of Britons Would Not Fight for the UK 'Under Any Circumstances'
Only 36 percent of Britons say they would be willing to go to war for their country, while 48 percent say they would not fight under any circumstances and 16 percent say they don't know, according to an Ipsos poll reported by the Independent. The survey polled 1,090 adults between September 29 and October 1.
The same poll found that 51 percent of respondents think the UK government should spend more on defence and the armed forces, even if that means raising taxes or making cuts elsewhere, while just 12 percent said defence spending should be lowered. Exactly half of those asked said the UK should make building a close defence relationship with the EU a priority.
Caroline Paskell, research director at Ipsos in the UK, said the polling underscores continued public recognition of the demands facing Britain's armed forces, with half of Britons backing an increase in defence spending despite wider economic pressures — but noted that resistance grows sharply when funding mechanisms touch personal taxation or cuts to cherished public services, making the balance of fiscal priorities a key challenge for ministers. The results were published after NATO's top military commander, U.S. General Alexus Grynkewich, said the alliance is "ready to fight tonight" if it is attacked. In recent weeks, senior European officials and intelligence services have warned that Russia may be planning to test the NATO alliance with increased covert attacks or even an incursion, following a spate of sabotage incidents across Europe.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：英国陆军士兵随挑战者2坦克在演习中集结。摄影：U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elizabeth MacPherson，公有领域，来源：Wikimedia Commons
