Half of adults would not go to war for the UK, poll suggests

Half of the UK population say there are no circumstances in which they would go to war for Britain, a poll suggests.

The figure is unchanged since April 2025, despite rising concern about the threat from foreign states, including Russia, China and Iran.

Despite the reluctance to fight, Ipsos did find strong backing for increased defence spending - though people were split on how to fund it.

A total of 51% of people backed an increase in defence spending - almost twice the 28% who supported such a move in June 2022.

Of those who supported higher spending, 37% said it should be paid for with spending cuts elsewhere, while 36% backed increasing the taxes they personally pay.

By far the most popular way of raising money for defence was increasing income tax on those earning more than £125,000 a year, with 46% supporting such a move.

A total of 1,090 British adults were surveyed by Ipsos between 29 September and 1 October.

Hamish Mundell, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, warned that the Ipsos poll did not suggest the country would be unable to mobilise in the event of a conflict.

Speaking to the Press Association, Mr Mundell said the figures would probably not worry military planners, as the constraint on numbers was not finding enough people willing to fight, but being able to train and equip them.

He added: "I can't see the number of people willing to fight decreasing if the UK started suffering at the hands of a foreign power during a conflict."

Men in general were the only group where more people said they would fight than would not - 48% said there were circumstances in which they would go to war, and 40% said they would not be willing to do so.

Most women and people aged 35 to 54 said they would not fight.

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Last year, the UK and other NATO allies agreed to spend 3.5% of GDP on "core defence" by 2035, under pressure from Donald Trump to increase military spending.

Plans set out in the defence investment plan will see spending rise to 2.7% of GDP by 2027/28, but there are no firm details on how further increases will be achieved beyond that date.

When pressed by Kemi Badenoch at Prime Minister's Questions on when defence spending would hit 3%, Andy Burnham said she would have to wait till the budget, due to take place on 28 October.

Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said Labour should cut welfare spending to pay for defence.

One way in which the UK is trying to get ready for any possible conflict is by updating something called the war book, requiring all government departments for the first time in decades to plan for how they might respond.

In September, Al Carns, the former armed forces minister, revealed in an interview that can be watched on Defence Insider - the new Sky News defence and security app - that the significant body of work was set to be completed by the end of the year.

(c) Sky News 2026: Half of adults would not go to war for the UK, poll suggests