UK Edition
Terror attacks drive public support for higher military spending
Terror attacks in neighbouring countries mean that the British public would like to see the UK’s defence budget boosted.
There has been a huge leap in the number of people who see organised terrorist attacks on the UK as the biggest threat to the country, according to research from PwC.
The consultancy’s annual Forces for Change report on how the public perceives the military found the 44pc of those questioned cited “organised terrorism at home” as the main threat to the UK - a 13pc percentage point rise on last’s year’s survey.
Seen as the second biggest threat was “conflict with non state organisations abroad” at 21pc, followed by “lone wolf attacks at home by individuals” 8pc, then “cyber attack” at 8pc, “biological or chemical warfare” at 4pc, followed by “nuclear attack” and “conventional warfare” each at 2pc.
Coming as Parliament prepares to vote on the £40bn project to replace Britain’s ageing fleet of nuclear missile submarines, the report found that 54pc of the 2,000 people questioned were in favour of the country’s current £34.4bn defence budget rising.
In total, 26pc want to see it raised significantly, 28pc back a slight increase, while 20pc would like it to hold steady. Only 10pc want to see a slight drop in defence spending, and 5pc would like to see it fall significantly, while 10pc were unsure about whether or not it should change.
“The survey captures the public’s mood at a time when we face some of the highest threat levels for a generation,” said Roland Sonnenberg, the PwC partner who led the report. “We’ve seen our neighbours experience horrific attacks, while Europe continues to struggle with migrant crisis caused by the continued conflict in Syria.
“Unsurprisingly our survey suggests increased fears as a result of terrorist or retaliatory action here in the UK with continuing public support for intervention abroad where it can be linked to UK security and national interests.”
The research follows last year’s Strategic Defence and Security Review in which the Government committed to spending 2pc of GDP on defence, with real terms increases in spending on the military.
As well as the new nuclear missile submarines - which are expected to get the go-ahead from MPs - Britain has increased its military strength over recent years with several other high-profile projects.
These include the new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. When the the first of these 65,000- tonne ships comes into service in 2021, it will mark the return of the UK’s ability to project military power abroad, a capability lost when the Harrier jump jet was retired in 2010.
Britain is also taking delivery of the F-35 stealth fighter, the world’s biggest-ever single military programme.
UK military might will also be boosted by the recent announcements of plans to acquire a fleet of P-8 maritime spy planes, and the renewal of the Apache helicopter fleet.