Brits torn over tax rises to fund a military that may tackle Putin’s Russia
New polling from Ipsos has revealed that British public opinion on increasing spending on the Armed Forces is finely balanced
37% of Brits think we should pay more tax to boost our defence against Putin(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The nation is torn on whether we should raise taxes to boost our defence against the likes of Russia. New polling from Ipsos has revealed that British public opinion on increasing spending on the Armed Forces is finely balanced.
The research showed 37% of Brits think it should, even if it means higher taxes – but a similar share (40%) think it should remain the same.
Meanwhile, 15% think defence spending should be decreased to bring some relief to cost-of-living battered households.
Ipsos Research Director Caroline Paskell said: “Our latest polling underscores the public’s anxiety about the financial realities of funding Britain’s armed forces, showing that while there is an in-principle desire for a strong military, it is not immune from the intense competing pressures facing other public services.
“For instance, since the peak in March this year there has been a measurable softening in the proportion of the British public who want to see military funding grow, although it remains higher than in 2022.
“Britons also remain highly sensitive to direct tax and spend trade-offs, with exactly half (50%) opposing an increase if it results in higher taxes that they personally have to pay, and 45% opposing it if it means spending less on other public services.
“Of interest, the public heavily favours investment that responds to modern and domestic challenges, with nearly eight in ten viewing cyber warfare capabilities and civil domestic assistance as vital areas for spend.
“Nevertheless, 73% still support funding increases if they are explicitly tied to generating civilian jobs and apprenticeships, suggesting that public appetite for defence investment is highly conditional and strongest when it yields tangible economic benefits at home.”
The study also found that if the government were to fund increased defence spending through increasing taxation, 44% would prefer targeting income tax on earnings over £125,000, followed by tobacco and alcohol duty (31%) and corporation tax (22%).
Brits also cited the NHS as the undisputed priority for public investment, with 62% of Britons stating it should be prioritised for more spending, followed by border and immigration control (27%) and housing (22%).
