Nearly Half of Britons Say They Would Never Fight for Their Country, per Ipsos Poll

Nearly half of Britons say they would never fight for their country, per a new Ipsos poll.

48% said there are no circumstances in which they'd take up arms and go to war for the UK, per Ipsos.

Just 36% said they would fight for the UK.

A Recruitment Problem in the Making

The poll lands as the British government debates how to rebuild military readiness at a time of heightened tension in Europe and the Middle East.

A public where nearly half the population rules out fighting under any circumstances poses a long-term challenge for recruitment, reserves, and any future discussion of expanded service.

The gap between the 48% who would never fight and the 36% who would also cuts across the politics of defense spending, which has been rising across NATO as allies push to meet new targets.

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What It Means for Markets

European defense spending has been one of the strongest themes in global markets, and public willingness to serve is part of the political backdrop for those budgets.

Watch US-listed defense primes with heavy UK and European exposure, including RTX and LMT, along with BA, for flow tied to allied defense appropriations.

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