COMRES/ITV news poll reveals just one in five say that the UK Government should seek to defeat Islamic State (IS). On the day Prime Minister David Cameron has said the Government's objective is to defeat Islamic State, the latest poll conducted by ComRes for ITV News reveals that just one in five Brits (20%) believe the Government's response to the militant group's emergence should be to seek to defeat IS in its entirety.
Of the different responses available to the British Government, the most popular among the public are seeking to stop IS making further gains in Iraq and Syria (29%) and not getting involved, leaving the situation to run its course (30%). Britons are divided about arming the Kurds fighting IS in northern Iraq - 36% think the British Government should, but 36% think not.
There is broad agreement (46%) with ex-Foreign Minister of Iraq, Hoshyar Zebari, that Britain and America have a "moral responsibility" to do something to save Iraq from the brink of total collapse. 29% disagree. There is little support for offering asylum in the UK to Iraqis at risk of persecution there: just one in four (24%) think Iraqi Christians at risk of persecution should be allowed to come and stay in the UK, while half (50%) disagree. Only one in six (16%) say the same of Iraqi Muslims at risk of persecution, but 58% disagree.
