Brits back slashing aid to boost defence spending by a huge margin, according to a poll today.
YouGov research found that 65 per cent agree with the government’s decision to fund the bump by trimming £6billion from aid by 2027.
Just a fifth oppose the move, which will see 2.5 per cent of GDP allocated to defence, and only 7 per cent were strongly against.
Support rose to 91 per cent among Reform voters, and was 83 per cent for Tories. Some 61 per cent of Labour backers were in favour.
There was, however, a sharp divide among 18-24 year-olds with 35 per cent for and 37 per cent opposed.
Keir Starmer announced the plan last week, and also voiced an ambition to hit 3 per cent in the next Parliament.
YouGov research found that 65 per cent agree with the government’s decision to fund the bump by trimming £6billion from aid by 2027
Development minister Anneliese Dodds (left) resigned warning that the aid reduction will only increase the influence of Russia and China
The move sparked the resignation of one of his closest allies, development minister Anneliese Dodds, from Cabinet.
However, many military figures have been warning Sir Keir must go further, with the US pushing for a level nearer 5 per cent – although that is far more than America itself spends.
Updating MPs this afternoon, Sir Keir said there was a ‘process’ of pushing defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP.
Kemi Badenoch has urged the government to ‘prepare for the worst’ by hiking defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP by 2029.
The Tory leader urged Keir Starmer to seek ‘peace through strength’, saying that was the only thing Russia respected.
As she quit last week, Ms Dodds warned that the reduction in aid will only increase the influence of Russia and China.
Swiping that Sir Keir seemed to be appeasing Mr Trump – who has also slashed aid – she suggested taxes will need to rise anyway as the new military demands cannot be met by ‘tactical’ reductions to spending.
In a letter replying, the PM thanked Ms Dodds for her ‘hard work, deep commitment and friendship’. He said he wanted to ‘rebuild capability on development’ when possible, but ‘protecting our national security must always be the first duty of any government’.
The departure will fuel widespread anxiety on Labour benches about the decision, amid claims that Sir Keir ‘bounced’ his top team into it.
The announcement was seen as a pitch to Mr Trump ahead of Sir Keir’s crucial visit to the White House.
The US president has been urging Nato states to spend 5 per cent of GDP on defence as he insists Washington will no longer underwrite protection for Ukraine or Europe.
Mr Trump praised the spending bump as a ‘great thing to do’ at their joint press conference.
