Support for nuclear weapons returns to Cold War era highs
Support for nuclear weapons has returned to levels last seen during the Cold War, a survey has found.
Almost two-thirds of Brits told the latest edition of the British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey that having its own nuclear weapons made the UK a safer place.
This is more than the 60% that said the same thing in 1983, when the election of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher saw tensions with the USSR reach heights not seen since the Cuban Missile Crisis of the 1960s.
By 1994, three years after the end of the Cold War, just 45% of people said Britain’s nuclear weapons made the country safer, while 37% said the opposite.
But in the most recent BSA survey, published on Thursday, 65% told the National Centre for Social Research that nuclear weapons made the UK safer.
The figures come against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and increased geopolitical tensions with Russia and China, both nuclear-armed powers.
However, the BSA survey suggested reduced concern about nuclear power stations could also have played a role in calming worries about nuclear weapons, with those who think civil nuclear power poses a risk more likely to say nuclear weapons make Britain less safe.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Oppenheimer: ‘Does anybody really worry about nuclear weapons anymore?’
Labour supporters were also more likely to say nuclear weapons made Britain less safe, with 33% expressing that view, but 60% of the party’s backers said they made the country safer.
Conservative supporters were more united on nuclear questions, with 87% saying Britain is safer for having its own nuclear deterrent.
What nuclear weapons does Russia have, what damage could they cause, and could they reach the UK?
Support for unilateral nuclear disarmament has decreased since the end of the Cold War, with 23% backing the policy now compared to 28% in 1990.
Over the same period, support for multilateral disarmament fell from 69% to 56%.
On defence more broadly, 42% said they would like to see more spending on the military compared to 18% saying they would like to see less.
This was a reversal of the position during the 1980s and 1990s when the public backed reductions in defence spending.
In 1990, almost half the public supported defence cuts, while just 8% wanted increases.
Two pro-Palestinian demonstrators have thrown red powder on Tower Bridge – just moments before leading runners in the London Marathon went past.
The protesters were arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance and remain in custody, said the Metropolitan Police.
A video shared by Youth Demand, which is calling for a trade embargo on Israel, shows two people jumping over a barrier that separates spectators from the race course.
The pair, wearing t-shirts that say “Youth Demand: Stop Arming Israel”, are then seen standing in the middle of the road on the bridge.
Pic: LNP
They throw red powder in the air as an official marathon car goes past displaying the race time.
A motorbike with a cameraman on board continues along the route, while a second motorbike stops and one of the riders gets off and pushes the pair out of the way, just before the men’s elite runners pass.
Several police officers then jump over the barrier and detain the pair, the footage shows.
There appeared to be no impact on the marathon.
More than 56,000 participants were expected to take part in the 26.2-mile race through the capital.
Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the men’s elite race in a time of two hours, two minutes and 27 seconds, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shattered the women’s-only world record in two hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds.
Assefa beat the previous best of two hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds set last year in London by Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir.
Read more:
Sky’s Beth Rigby running marathon in honour of ‘dearest friend’
Badenoch does not rule out local coalitions with Reform
Pic: LNP
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “At around 10.38am, two protesters from Youth Demand jumped over barriers at Tower Bridge and threw red paint on to the road.
“Marathon event staff intervened to remove the protesters from the path of the men’s elite race which was able to pass unobstructed.”
The force added that they were “quickly supported by police officers who arrested the protesters on suspicion of causing a public nuisance”.
The Met said the paint “appeared to be chalk-based” and was not expected to “present a hazard to runners yet to pass this point”.
Counter-terrorism police are investigating after an incident involving a crossbow and a firearm left two women injured in Leeds.
Police were called to Otley Road at 2.47pm on Saturday to reports of a “serious incident involving a man seen with weapons”, West Yorkshire Police said.
Officers arrived at the scene to find two women injured – and a 38-year-old man with a self-inflicted injury. All three were taken to hospital, with the man held under arrest, but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
“Two weapons have been recovered from the scene, which were a crossbow and a firearm,” Counter Terrorism Policing North East said in a statement.
The incident happened on the ‘Otley Run’ pub crawl, with one venue saying it was closed for the evening due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
Officers guard one of the crime scenes
Officers inside the cordon in Leeds
Counter Terrorism Policing’s statement added: “Due to the circumstances surrounding the incident, Counter Terrorism Policing North East have taken responsibility for leading the investigation with the support of West Yorkshire Police.
“Extensive enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances and explore any potential motivation.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described it as a “serious violent incident” and said she was being kept updated by police.
“Thank you to the police and emergency services for their swift response,” she said. “My thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this attack.”
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business3 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway