Liam Fox welcomes ConservativeHome poll on national security

The December ConservativeHome.com survey closes at midnight.  If you haven't had your say yet please click here.

Today we publish the final set of results from our November survey - on foreign and defence policy...

The results show that, despite the damage done by the Iraq war, most Conservative members retain a robust attitude to national security:

• By nearly two-to-one they reject the idea that military action must be authorised by the United Nations.
• Just over half agree with the controversial doctrine of pre-emption.  Winston Churchill would have approved.  He famously quipped: "You must never fire until you have been shot dead?"
• 86% want a bigger military.  This confirms an earlier ConservativeHome Panel finding that defence should be the party's number one public expenditure priority.

Shadow Defence Secretary Liam Fox warmly welcomed the findings.  He issued the following statement to ConservativeHome:

"When it comes to security there is a strong Conservative belief in being masters of our own destiny.  While international co-operation is to be valued we must as a nation maintain the tools to act separately when our national interest requires it."

The surge of extra troops in Iraq does seem to be improving the situation
> Agree 59%, Disagree 18%, Don't know 23%

When it comes to foreign policy, Britain should be closer to the English-speaking world and less close to Europe
> Agree 65%, Disagree 20%, Don't know 15%
> John O'Sullivan will be pleased with that finding. In Saturday's Telegraph he called for Britain to take a bigger role in the Anglosphere.

Free trade is more important for fighting global poverty than aid spending
> Agree 86%, Disagree 6%, Don't know 8%

Britain should increase aid spending every year as part of our commitment to tackle global poverty
> Agree 26%, Disagree 60%, Don't know 14%

Turkey should be welcomed into the European Union
> Agree 34%, Disagree 48%, Don't know 18%
> Liam Fox made the case for Turkish membership of the EU here.

The United States of America is a force for good in the world
> Agree 68%, Disagree 16%, Don't know 16%
> That 32% who disagree or don't know is disappointingly high.

A Conservative Prime Minister should always raise human rights issues when he meets the leaders of nations that oppress their citizens
> Agree 73%, Disagree 18%, Don't know 9%
> This result was discussed on 22 December: Poll shows Conservative commitment to human rights abroad

BritainAndAmerica is currently publishing daily overviews of the worldviews of the leading presidential candidates.

Comments

[Kate Bollinger]

How can 16% of Tories honestly say they don't think America is a force for good in the world?? Are they still smarting from that pesky Declaration of Independence?

[Umbrella man]

This is encouraging.

Someone senior in British politics must soon point out that the UN Emperor has no clothes.

[Lucy]

Kate - It rather depends what 'good' is.

[GS London]

Kate said: "How can 16% of Tories honestly say they don't think America is a force for good in the world?? Are they still smarting from that pesky Declaration of Independence?"

More likely they're still smarting from that pesky invasion of Iraq.

[Geoff]

GS London - some of us still support that pesky invasion of Iraq.

[Kate Bollinger]

Good as in net positive, at least. Iraq is the result of badly managed good intentions, and even that is a net positive. Saddam killed 400k of his own people, not including Iran war and Gulf war, and would have liked to have WMD even if he had failed to acquire them at the time of intervention.

So many terrible things are inconcievable in this world because of America's values and strength. We don't live in a pacified world and never will, if other countries thought they could invade Western countries they would.

[IRJMilne]

The group who bother me the most here are the 20% of those surveyed who think Britain should be closer to Europe than the anglosphere.

[Cllr Francis Lankester]

The most disturbing result is those who trust the UN. The absurdity of nations with criminal human rights records chairing the HR committee or even being on it, and the obsession with Israel plus the corruption and sex scandals means the UN has no moral authority left.

[Geoff]

IRJMilne - I agree with you but I'm even more worried about the 15% who "don't know".

Eh? How can people possibly not have an opinion on this vital issue?

[Tony Makara]

I believe spending on defence, like spending on the police and emergency services is above the political debate. Such spending is a necessity and our armed forces must be fully equipped and ready to respond to any contingency situation. There is no peace dividend because peace is only maintained by having a strong military.

[Geoff]

Cllr Francis Lankester - please don't reply to this as it might shift the thread off topic, but I'd like to consider and debate views on the UN; maybe John McCain's idea of a rival "League Of Democracies" and also other options.

Tim, Sam - maybe a thread at an appropriate time about how conservatives (not just us) might best work/influence/not work with the UN.

[Editor]

Sure Geoff. We're planning such a debate for the week beginning 14 January. All will be revealed!

[Moral minority]

The United States CAN be a force for good. Unfortunately, the Bush administration is NOT. The two are separate despite the Bush aministration and its supporters spinning that they are not.

No compassionate conservative can support the Bush administration's use of illegal detention at Guantamo in Cuba, rendering suspects to other countries (like Syria) to be tortured or the systematic abuse of prisoners in Iraq.

[Tony Makara]

Moral minority, yes, good points. The overwhelming goodwill towards the United States after 9/11 was completely destroyed by George Bush and the NeoCon's ideological Weltanschauung. The genuine sympathy that was awarded to America after 9/11 could have been built into a global coalition against terrorism. A golden opportunity, born out of adversity, was wasted.

[Patsy Sergeant]

The problem with the UN is that its real effectiveness very much depends on the Secretary General, and given the immensely powerful vested interests of many of the countries that 'come to the table' and their willingness, or not to accept a particular candidate for secretary-general, and indeed the actual suitable candidates available, its unlikely that in this modern era that the 'United Nations' will be as effective as in its early years!

If you add to this the apparent self-interest of so many of the EU countries, and probably even more when considering the newer members, then the outlook for future peace, harmony and well-being of the world, is fairly bleak!!

[Tim Roll-Pickering]

IRJMilne: Maybe they read that question as "always jump into bed with the US". Unfortunately it seems half the people complaining about Brussels aren't really advocating the UK having an independent foreign policy set in London but are rather just arguing about which foreign capital our foreign policy should be determined in.

[Joe James Broughton]

I don't much like the Bush administration.
Torture, water boarding, Capital Punishment (particularly in Texas), and almost a Scientology style influence.

Whereas I'd like to see social security reduced significantly in Britain, a British solution would not be the American route.

I supported the invasion of Iraq. Who knows yet whether the cost of putting it into effect has proved too high.

[Dontmakemelaugh]

The United States CAN be a force for good. Unfortunately, the Bush administration is NOT. The two are separate despite the Bush aministration and its supporters spinning that they are not.

No compassionate conservative can support the Bush administration's use of illegal detention at Guantanamo in Cuba, rendering suspects to other countries (like Syria) to be tortured or the systematic abuse of prisoners in Iraq.

Posted by: Moral minority | December 31, 2007 at 13:52

I am a compassionate conservative and very much in favour of the social policies of IDS. I have no problem with Guantanamo bay.
I am very much in favour of the West winning the battle against Islamists and I am no bleeding heart liberal; they have given us enough problems. In war there is much we would disassociate ourselves from in times of peace. We are not in peaceful times and we had better believe it - some don't and think that we are out for a stroll. At least I know which side Bush is on - it is known as the West. As far as the allegations of torture go, guess who are making the allegations?

[Malcolm Dunn]

I don't think any of these results are particularly suprising. If I was the American ambassador I would be pleased with these results given the ineptitude of the current administration. I believe that any successor to President Bush Republican or Democrat will handle their foreign policy with a great deal more skill and persuasiveness than the likes of John Bolton or Dick Cheney who have been such an unmitigated disaster for the west in general and the USA in particular.
Totally disagree with Fox though about Turkish membership of the EU. How many more immigrants does he want to come here? This is a naive and foolish policy.Thankfully we can rely on other European nations to veto the idea.

[Joe James Broughton]

Dontmakemelaugh - please use a different name you sneary ___.

As for torture - well I think Cheney pretty much admitted it anyway because he doesn't think it's a problem. Probably you don't either.

Some of your other points are valid though.

Happy new year to all by the way.