UK public agree with Jeremy Corbyn on foreign policy terror links, poll finds

Labour leader criticised after claiming British interventions led to 'terrorism here at home'

The Labour leader said that the war on terror has failed and that foreign policy would change under his party’s government (EPA)

The majority of the British public believe British foreign policy has been in part responsible for terror attacks on UK soil, according to a new poll.

The survey conducted by YouGov found 53 per cent of people support the view - more than twice the proportion who think foreign policy plays no role (24 per cent).

It follows Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s speech last week in which he linked the UK’s intervention abroad to “terrorism here at home.”

“Many experts, including professionals in our intelligence and security services have pointed to the connections between wars our government has supported or fought in other countries, such as Libya, and terrorism here at home,” he said.

His comments in the wake of the deadly Manchester attack, that left 22 dead, were strongly condemned by politicians and commentators, who accused Mr Corbyn of political posturing.

Days later, he stood by the comments, telling Jeremy Paxman: “We have to have a foreign policy around the world that doesn't leave large areas without any effective government - such as in Libya at the present time - which can become a breeding ground for enormous danger for all of us.

"My point was absolute condemnation. My point was that we need more police not less - that's why we've pledged to provide 10,000 more police on our streets.”

Despite the criticism, the latest poll shows the longtime peace campaigner to be on the right side of public opinion.

Weeks before, Mr Corbyn also claimed Britain was wrong to enter any of the six conflicts since the Second World War, a view reflected by the general public.

YouGov found 55 per cent of Britons also thought it was wrong to intervene in Iraq in 2003, while 44 per cent and 43 per cent thought it was wrong to enter Libya and Afghanistan respectively.

However, Mr Corbyn’s views on the Falklands conflict clash with public opinion, with 51 per cent of people believing Britain was right to take military action against Argentina following the invasion.

The Labour leader has been accused of calling the intervention “a Tory plot to keep their money-making friends in business” in 1982, but has denied making the comments.