Army is no longer able to defend UK properly, say 1 in 2

Survey for ABF The Soldiers’ Charity shows even more believe there should be no further cuts

A poll of 2,100 people found that nearly half do not believe the British Army is now capable of properly defending the UK (Getty)

The British Army is no longer able to properly defend the UK following spending cuts, according to nearly half of the public.

A survey for ABF The Soldiers’ Charity found that 46 per cent of respondents believed “the British Army can’t meet the real threats to modern Britain”, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Even more people, 65 per cent, said the Army should not face further cuts. The Armed Forces were deemed “very necessary” to society by 52 per cent.

A spending review is due to take place later this year and the Government has not ruled out further reductions to the military’s budget.

There has been concern in military circles that the UK could start spending less than the 2 per cent of GDP that Nato members are supposed to spend on their Armed Forces, despite Russia’s intervention in Ukraine and fears that it could turn its attention to other former Soviet states.

Brigadier Robin Bacon, chief of staff of ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, said: “Given the current instability in the world and the threats the UK faces, it is no wonder that the public feels that our Armed Forces are necessary.”

The survey, in which pollster YouGov spoke to 2,100 people, was held to mark Army Forces Day on Saturday.