A new Ipsos poll suggests a significant decline in the English public's morale and patriotism with nearly half of British adults saying they would refuse to fight for the UK under any circumstances.

The survey found that just 35 percent of respondents would be willing to take up arms for their country while 48 percent said there was not any condition under which they would go to war for Britain. Seventeen percent were unsure how they would respond.

"Declining confidence in defence capabilities: While a majority (55%) remain confident in the armed forces' ability to defend Britain against an attack, this figure has dropped 17points from 70% in September 2022. Confidence in other areas, such as their ability to assist allies and providing value for money, has also seen declines," the suvey's findings states.

"Overall, there is most confidence in Britain’s armed forces to assist with civil domestic operations such as floods (72%) and humanitarian operations abroad (70%), and least in their ability to provide support for service personnel after they have left the Forces (43%) or to provide quality care for the mental health of current and ex-personnel (39%)"

Former British Army officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan Richard Gill noted that the findings were part of a broader issue: "The fact that so many would refuse to fight for Britain is a symptom of a deeper national malaise. We’ve stopped teaching pride in our country, its history, and its values," he said, according to The Standard. "A nation unsure of itself cannot expect its people to defend it. That must change."

The poll, conducted among more than 1,000 adults, comes ahead of VE Day celebrations marking 80 years since the end of World War II. Military bamds are scheduled to march through central London on May 5 to honor the historic occasion.

The responses showed notable divides by gender and age. Nearly half of men (49 percent) said they would be willing to fight, compared with only 21 percent of women. Among 18 to 34-year-olds, 42 percent expressed willingness to fight, but that number dropped to 28 percent for those aged 35 to 54. More than half of that older group said they would not take up arms.

Political leanings also played a role. Supporters of Reform UK were the most likely to say they would fight for Britain, while Liberal Democrats were least.

Other key findings include that the EU and NATO favored as key defence partners: "The EU (41%) is Britons’ priority to build a close defence relationship with, followed by NATO (39%) and the USA (35%)."

"Elsewhere in the poll, Britons were asked about their attitudes towards America versus Europe. A majority of Britons express a preference for Europe and Europeans over America and Americans across various measures, including liking people (80% Europeans vs 55% Americans), opportunities to learn from others (62% Europe vs 32% America), and where they would live if they could not live in Britain (64% Europe vs 28% America)."