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More than half of Brits oppose military intervention overseas, new poll reveals

MORE than half of British adults oppose the use of military troops overseas, an international poll revealed.

Of the 1,691 Brits surveyed by YouGov in November, 52 per cent agreed with the policy of Britain “not taking part in military interventions in other countries.”

Published this week, the poll suggested that only 27 per cent said they  disagree and 21 per cent said they “don’t know.”

Pacifist group Peace Pledge Union (PPU) welcomed the results, pointing out that the British public was much more anti-war than most politicians.

PPU spokesperson Symon Hill said: “If the government were as keen on ‘the will of the people’ as it claims to be, it would end the role of British troops in fuelling violent conflict in countries such as Syria, Estonia and Saudi Arabia.

“With his plans for new military bases, [Defence Secretary] Gavin Williamson seems more concerned with playing out his military fantasies than with either public opinion or real security.

“The government’s policies are of more benefit to arms companies than they are to the British public or the people in the countries to which British troops are sent.”

Mr Hill said that opposition parties need to have “more courage” to clearly adopt anti-war and anti-militarist policies with ending military interventions overseas being “a great first step.”

And he went as far as to call for armed forces to be abolished.

“We urge the public to go further and support the scrapping of armed forces altogether.

“We cannot tackle the real security threats that people face today – poverty, climate change, terrorism – by relying on armed forces. They don’t make us safer; they make the whole world less safe.”

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