Skip to main content
Advertise with the Morning Star
British foreign policy: the elite v the public
Statistics show conclusively that the majority of Brits have repeatedly frightened the Establishment by consistently opposing military adventurism abroad, writes IAN SINCLAIR
SCARING THE ELITES: An anti-war march in Manchester city centre, where the 2008 Labour Party Conference was held

TWO polls published earlier this month make interesting reading.

Asked by YouGov “Do you think the UK was right or wrong to take military action in the following wars…?”, just 26 per cent of respondents answered it was right to take military action in the 1991 Gulf War, 29 per cent in Kosovo in 1999, and only 20 per cent in Afghanistan and 16 per cent in Iraq in 2003, while 48 per cent and 54 per cent said it was wrong to take military action in Afghanistan and Iraq, respectively.

Another poll by Focaldata for news and opinion website Unherd found 44 per cent of respondents thought Britain should be less engaged in overseas conflicts, compared to just 7 per cent who said the nation should be more engaged.

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
More from this author
IS 2
Album reviews / 9 September 2025
9 September 2025

Reviews of new releases by Jens Lekman, Big Thief, and Christian McBride Big Band

covers
Culture / 25 August 2025
25 August 2025

IAN SINCLAIR reviews new releases from The Beaches, CMAT and Kathleen Edwards

Palestinians pray over the bodies of people who were killed in an Israeli military strike, during their funeral outside Shifa Hospital, in Gaza City, August 22, 2025
Features / 23 August 2025
23 August 2025

From training Israeli colonels during the slaughter to protecting Israel at the UN, senior British figures should fear Article 3 of the Genocide Convention that criminalises complicity in mass killing, writes IAN SINCLAIR

IS
Album reviews / 11 August 2025
11 August 2025

New releases from Cassandra Jenkins, Ryan Davis & the Roundhouse Band, and Case Oats

Similar stories
ILLEGAL FROM THE START: British commandos in the south east region of Afghanistan, May 2002
Features / 20 June 2025
20 June 2025

As the cover-ups collapse, IAN SINCLAIR looks at the shocking testimony from British forces who would ‘go in and shoot everyone sleeping there’ during night raids — illegal, systematic murder spawned by an illegal invasion 
 

Features / 16 April 2025
16 April 2025
Despite liberal whining that Trump threatens the ‘international rules-based order,’ the historical record shows Western nations have repeatedly overthrown democracies, backed genocides and violated sovereignty, writes IAN SINCLAIR
In this photo provided by Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade
Features / 29 March 2025
29 March 2025
Detailing the deluge of delusion and dishonesty pushed by the pro-war camp, IAN SINCLAIR identifies four key tactics corporate journalists use to confuse audiences and suppress opposition to the proxy war in the east
ARCHITECTS OF SLAUGHTER : Jonathan Powell (right)and Alastai
Features / 23 November 2024
23 November 2024
The British press has welcomed Keir Starmer’s new National Security Adviser without any mention of his deep, central involvement in the criminal invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan — but history remembers, writes IAN SINCLAIR