Poll boost for Starmer amidst growing support for Ukraine role, increase in defence spending

New polling from Ipsos UK for the Times has found increasing support for more defence spending, even if this means extra government borrowing, higher taxes, or less money to spend on other public services. 

In addition, support for Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the UK government’s handling of the conflict in Ukraine has increased, while perceptions of US President Donald Trump’s approach to the conflict have decreased significantly. Polling was initially conducted from February 24th-26th, and again from March 4th -5th, 2025, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s contentious visit to the Oval Office and the subsequent emergency summit of European leaders led by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Approval ratings for key actors 

• Three in ten (30%) of Britons think that Keir Starmer is doing a good job as Prime Minister – an increase of 7 ppts from last month. However, his overall ratings are still negative, with 45% saying that he is doing a bad job.

• Ratings of the UK Government’s response have also improved, with four in ten (40%) Britons saying that the government has done a good job handling the Russian invasion of Ukraine (+6 ppts from February). 
• Three in five (60%) Britons continue to think that Volodymyr Zelenskyy has done a good job handling the Russian invasion of Ukraine (no change from February).  
• Conversely, Britons have become sharply more critical of President Trump’s handling of the situation in Ukraine since last month. Nearly two thirds (64%) say that the US President is doing a bad job in his response to the conflict, up from 38% last month.

Support for increasing defence spending

• Overall, just over two in five (44%) Britons think government spending on defence and the Armed Forces should be increased, even if this means extra government borrowing, higher taxes, or less money to spend on other public services. This is up from three in ten (30%) in September 2022, and up slightly from 42% in February. 31% believe it should stay the same, while 15% believe it should be decreased, to reduce borrowing or taxes or to allow more money for public services.

Britain's role in the world 

• Over half (55%) of Britons think that Britain is a force for good in the world – an increase of 8 ppts since last month (February).
• 44% say that even though Britain is not as powerful economically or militarily as some other countries, it should try to punch above its weight in world affairs (-2 ppts from last month). 
• 37% say that Britain should stop pretending it is an important power in the world (-3 ppts from last month). 
• Just over half (53%) of Britons think that other countries take the UK seriously on the world stage – an increase of 4 ppts from February.

Ukraine 

• Around 6 in 10 (59%) Britons support Britain’s current role in the Ukraine conflict – up slightly from 53% last month.
• Just over half of Britons (53%) support Britain sending weapons to help Ukraine in their fight against Russia – up from 47% last month but down from a peak of 63% in September 2022.
• 48% support sending money – up from 41% last month but down from 59% in September 2022.
• Public support for Britain sending troops to Ukraine for peacekeeping purposes is up slightly from last month, with 43% in support (up 6 ppts from February). 32% would oppose the sending of troops (-2), with 19% saying they would neither support nor oppose the decision. 6% don’t know.

Commenting on the findings, Keiran Pedley, Director of UK Politics at Ipsos, said:

Recent events have solidified public support for the UK government's approach to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's approval ratings have seen a notable boost, coinciding with a sharp decline in the British public's perception of US President Trump's handling of the crisis. There is a notable increase in the number of Britons who believe that the UK is a force for good in the world, and just over four in ten (44%) continue to support increased defence spending, even if it requires economic sacrifices. However, it should be noted that this is still a minority, and it remains to be seen whether support for increased defence spending is durable over time as Ipsos polling shows other areas, such as healthcare, tend to be more of a priority for the public.

Technical note

• Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 981 adults aged 18-75 across Great Britain. Polling was conducted online between the 4th and 5th March 2025.  
• Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.