British adults’ concerns about defence and foreign affairs are currently at levels not seen since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, research has found.
Asked to define what the main issues facing Britain are today, the number of respondents mentioning defence and foreign affairs rose 12% against February.
The IPSOS survey in March of 1,000 British adults found 29% saw defence and foreign affairs as a big issue for the country, with concern higher still among over-65s (44%) and men (34%), although a lower priority for Reform UK voters (22%) and young people (12% among 18-24 year-olds).
This rise correlates to news on the future role of a Trump-led US in NATO and the protection of Europe against a possible Russian aggressor.
Defence and foreign affairs have not been such a significant concern since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in March 2022 and during the run-up and immediate aftermath of the Brexit referendum in 2016 and 2017.
Mike Clemence, research director at Ipsos, said: “Defence and foreign affairs has jumped up the list of public concerns this month. But rather than displacing any long-running issues like the economy, immigration and the NHS, it is adding another dimension to the things Britons are worried about. Immigration and the economy are the joint biggest issues this month.”
He added: “While concern about the economy is more broadly distributed across Britons, immigration worry remains tightly concentrated among older groups and Conservative and Reform UK supporters.”
People’s top concern remains the economy, still at the same level as March 2023. However, although 34% of those surveyed see the economy as a concern, only 15% see it as their top concern.
Immigration was the most important issue for 18% of those surveyed. Concerns regarding immigration were at their peak in October 2024, at a level not seen for eight years. Immigration as a concern was at its lowest for over a decade in April 2020.
