Guardian poll shows the public want nuclear disarmament

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982

In a new poll for the Guardian, published today, a majority of voters have for the first time said they want Britain’s nuclear arsenal to be scrapped entirely. 54% of respondents said the Government should abandon nuclear weapons altogether, rather than invest in Trident.

The Guardian’s poll reveals:

“a dramatic turnaround in public opinion since Trident renewal was announced by Brown three years ago. In July 2006, 51% backed renewal, while 39% opposed it. Since then support for a new Trident system has fallen by nine points while opposition has grown by 15 points. Overall, only 42% of all voters now back renewal.”

In the same poll, voting intentions were as follows:

Conservative: 41% (+2)

Labour: 27% (nc)

Lib Dems: 20% (+2)

Others: 12% (-3)