Blair loses public support for Iraq conflict
Support for the prime minister has been severely dented by the bloodiest month since the invasion of Iraq, according to a new poll.
The research, conducted by ICM on behalf of The Guardian, found that opinion in Britain had swung against Tony Blair’s decision to go to war, with 48 per cent of respondents claiming the Iraq war was not justified.
Just 41 per cent of the UK population now believes that the war was justified, compared to 53 per cent in January, according to the poll taken over the weekend. Meanwhile, the proportion of the electorate opposed to the war has grown from 41 per cent to 48 per cent in the past four months, reaching the highest level since September last year.
The survey showed that two-thirds of British voters have little or no confidence in the American government’s handling of the situation in Iraq. 79 per cent claimed it was too dangerous for civilians working for British companies to be in the country. Only 28 per cent of British voters have “a lot” or “a fair amount” of confidence in the Americans’ handling of the situation following scenes of bloody battles in Najaf and Falluja and reported kidnappings in Iraq.
It is just over a year since the fall of Baghdad and recent weeks have seen violence in Iraq escalate. The government now faces increasing calls for British troops to be brought home.
The ICM/Guardian poll found that 42 per cent of those surveyed felt British troops should be brought back from Iraq within the next six months. However, 51 per cent of Britons believe that UK troops should remain for as long as is necessary.
The handover of power to an interim government in Iraq is due to take place in June and many believe the lead up to the handover will see an increase in violence against Allied troops.
Mr Blair’s personal approval rating has plummeted to minus 20 per cent, but 38 per cent of voters still plan to vote for the Labour Party, compared with 33 per cent for the Tories and 22 per cent for the Liberal Democrats.
