The Falklands War - Trends

Trends on questions included in more than one survey over the period

 Trends on questions included in more than one MORI survey over the period 14 April-23 June

Note: the Falklands War lasted from 2 April 1982, when the Argentine Navy with thousands of troops landed on the Falklands, until 14 June 1982 when the large Argentine garrison in Port Stanley was defeated, effectively ending the conflict.

Q. How would you vote if there were a general election tomorrow? Q (If undecided/refused) Which party are you most inclined to support?

  14 Apr 1982 20-21 Apr 1982 23-24 Apr 1982 3-5 May 1982 16 May 1982 25-26 May 1982 21-23 June 1982
  % % % % % % %
Conservative 33 36 39 38 48 51 51
Labour 34 30 32 32 33 25 24
Liberal / SDP Alliance (combined) 30 31 27 28 17 23 23
Other 3 3 2 2 2 2 1
 
Excludes:
Would not vote 6 4 4 n/a 4 n/a 3
Undecided 4 5 6 n/a 6 n/a 5
Refused 5 5 n/a n/a 2 n/a *

 

Q. Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way the Government are now handling the situation in the Falkland Islands?*

  14 Apr 1982 20-21 Apr 1982 23-24 Apr 1982 30 Apr 1982 3-5 May 1982 16 May 1982 25-26 May 1982 21-23 June 1982
  % % % % % % % %
Satisfied 60 68 76 70 71 69 84 84
Dissatisfied 30 24 20 23 25 25 14 13
Don't know 10 8 4 7 4 6 2 3

* "… the way the Government handled…" on 21-23 June

 

Q. Do you think in their handling of the situation in the Falklands the government has been too willing to use military force, not willing enough or has it been about right?

  30 Apr 1982 3-5 May 1982 25-26 May 1982
  % % %
Too willing 18 25 16
Not willing enough 16 7 12
About right 62 64 70
Don't know 4 4 2

 

Q. What would you say is the most important issue facing Britain today?

  14 Apr 1982 3-5 May 1982
  % %
Falklands situation 39 61
Unemployment 39 25
Prices / inflation 8 3
Defence / Foreign Affairs 2  
Law & order / riots 2  
Trade unions / strikes 2  
(Others below 1% omitted)

 

Q. Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way the Labour Party is responding to the Government's handling of the situation in the Falkland Islands?*

  14 Apr 1982 3-5 May 1982 25-26 May 1982 21-23 June 1982
  % % % %
Satisfied 40 26 37 34
Dissatisfied 39 62 53 56
Don't know 21 12 10 10

* "… the way the Labour Party responded…" on 21-23 June

 

Q. Do you think the Government should call a General Election now or not?

  14 Apr 1982 3-5 May 1982 21-23 June 1982
  % % %
Yes 29 16 16
No 68 78 80
Don't know 3 6 4

 

Q. Do you think Mrs Thatcher should resign as Prime Minister over the situation in the Falkland Islands or not?

  14 Apr 1982 23-24 Apr 1982
  % %
Yes 34 27
No 62 67
Don't know 4 6

 

Q. Should Britain take / have taken the following measures over the Falklands Islands situation? Sent the naval taskforce to the Falkland Islands

  14 Apr 1982 20-21 Apr 1982 3-5 May 1982
  % % %
Yes 83 85 85
No 13 10 10
Don't know 3 5 5

 

Q. Should Britain take / have taken the following measures over the Falklands Islands situation? Allow the UN to take over administration of the Falkland Islands

  14 Apr 1982 20-21 Apr 1982 23-24 Apr 1982 3-5 May 1982
  % % % %
Yes 45 42 40 49
No 42 46 50 41
Don't know 13 12 10 10

 

Q. Should Britain take / have taken the following measures over the Falklands Islands situation? Sink Argentinian ships in Falkland waters

  14 Apr 1982 20-21 Apr 1982 23-24 Apr 1982 25-26 May 1982
  % % % %
Yes 52 55 58 79
No 39 35 35 18
Don't know 9 11 6 3

 

Q. Should Britain take / have taken the following measures over the Falklands Islands situation? Land troops on the Falklands

  14 Apr 1982 20-21 Apr 1982 23-24 Apr 1982 3-5 May 1982 25-26 May 1982
  % % % % %
Yes 67 65 65 72 89
No 24 25 26 22 10
Don't know 9 10 9 6 1

 

Q. Should Britain take / have taken the following measures over the Falklands Islands situation? Bomb Argentinian military and naval bases

  14 Apr 1982 20-21 Apr 1982 23-24 Apr 1982 3-5 May 1982
  % % % %
Yes 28 34 33 38
No 63 57 58 57
Don't know 9 9 9 5

 

Q. Should Britain take / have taken the following measures over the Falklands Islands situation? Use military force to regain British sovereignty in the Falklands in spite of American pressure

  14 Apr 1982 20-21 Apr 1982 23-24 Apr 1982
  % % %
Yes 68 66 69
No 24 26 24
Don't know 8 8 6

 

Q. During the Falkland Islands situation has your opinion of … gone up, gone down or stayed the same?

  14 Apr 1982
  Gone up Gone down Stayed the same Don't know
  % % % %
Mrs Thatcher, the Prime Minister 12 27 59 1
Lord Carrington, former Foreign Secretary 10 34 47 8
Francis Pym, current Foreign Secretary 16 11 45 28
John Nott, Defence Secretary 6 37 43 14
Michael Foot, Opposition Leader 9 24 60 7
Denis Healey, Shadow Foreign Secretary 8 16 67 9
Tony Benn, Labour MP 6 34 51 8
David Owen, SDP Foreign Affairs Spokesman 16 11 60 13
Ronald Reagan, President of the USA 8 28 55 9

 

Q. During the Falkland Islands situation has your opinion of … gone up, gone down or stayed the same?

  20-21 Apr 1982
  Gone up Gone down Stayed the same Don't know
  % % % %
Mrs Thatcher 15 14 69 2
Francis Pym, current Foreign Secretary 14 8 57 21
Alexander Haig, American Secretary of State 31 15 43 11

 

Q. During the Falkland Islands situation has your opinion of … gone up, gone down or stayed the same?

  23-24 Apr 1982
  Gone up Gone down Stayed the same Don't know
  % % % %
Mrs Thatcher 20 15 64 1
Francis Pym, current Foreign Secretary 22 8 56 15
Alexander Haig, American Secretary of State 26 17 49 8

 

Q. During the Falkland Islands situation has your opinion of … gone up, gone down or stayed the same?

  21-23 June 1982
  Gone up Gone down Stayed the same Don't know
  % % % %
Mrs Thatcher, the Prime Minister 45 7 48 *
Francis Pym, current Foreign Secretary 27 6 61 6
John Nott, Defence Secretary 22 13 60 4
Michael Foot, Opposition Leader 4 47 45 3
Denis Healey, Shadow Foreign Secretary 10 16 67 7
Tony Benn, Labour MP 6 56 34 4
David Owen, SDP Foreign Affairs Spokesman 22 8 60 10
Ronald Reagan, President of the USA 11 34 52 3
Roy Jenkins, SDP MP 2 13 76 9

 

Q (Apr / May) Do you favour or oppose the proposal that the Falkland Islands should become Argentinian territory, but leased back to the British government for administration? Q (Jun) Which of these options do you think are acceptable as a long term settlement to the Falklands situation, and which are not acceptable? The Falklands should become Argentinian sovereign territory, but leased back to the British government for administration.

  14 Apr 1982 3-5 May 1982 21-23 Jun 1982
  % % %
Favour / Acceptable 26 23 11
Oppose / Unacceptable 63 64 86
Don't know 11 13 3

 

Q. Do you think that retaining British sovereignty over the Falklands is important enough to justify the loss of Falkland Islanders' lives as a result of British military action?

  14 Apr 1982 20-21 Apr 1982 23-24 Apr 1982 3-5 May 1982
  % % % %
Yes, important enough 36 38 46 45
No, not important enough 55 50 46 48
Don't know 9 12 8 7

 

Q. Do you think that retaining British sovereignty over the Falklands is important enough to justify the loss of British service men's lives?

  14 Apr 1982 20-21 Apr 1982 23-24 Apr 1982 3-5 May 1982 25-26 May 1982
  % % % % %
Yes, important enough 44 51 58 53 62
No, not important enough 49 42 37 43 34
Don't know 7 8 5 4 4

 

Q. Do you think that retaining British sovereignty over the Falklands, if they are regained, is important enough to pay increased taxes to maintain military and naval forces to protect them?*

  14 Apr 1982 3-5 May 1982 21-23 Jun 1982
  % % %
Yes, important enough 58 59 71
No, not important enough 36 34 24
Don't know 6 7 5

* Q on 21-23 June omitted "if they are regained"

 

Q. How much do you personally care whether Britain regains sovereignty over the Falkland Islands or not?

  14 Apr 1982 23-24 Apr 1982 3-5 May 1982 25-26 May 1982
  % % % %
Care very much 51 54 51 54
Care a little 32 31 32 28
Don't care at all 14 12 13 n/a
Don't know 3 4 3 n/a

 

 

Q. Would you favour or oppose: The Falkland Islanders themselves to have the final say over the issue of the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands?

  20-21 Apr 1982 21-23 Jun 1982
  % %
Favour 77 72
Oppose 15 24
Don't know 8 4

 

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