Yes won comfortably, but the most-respected Yes case was less a defence of the Chancellor than an indictment of the government around him. It accused ministers of “making no efforts at brokering peace” and asked where the talks to end the war were.
Other Yes voters made the more conventional case. One called the bulk of the package “vital economic support and World Bank guarantees”, describing Ukraine as “the absolute exception” for an antimilitarist. Another stressed that it is mainly a loan guarantee, and likened not helping to the Sudetenland errors of 86 years ago. A quieter Yes voice admitted the sum is “becoming a tough sell” and asked what the achievable objective is.
The No side was blunter and angrier. Its two most-respected arguments, tied, were about priorities at home: money for “a foreign country whilst the UK crumbles”, set against debt, energy bills and a stretched military. Many No voters turned to corruption and to Zelensky personally, with some of it abusive. One No voter broke from the pack, granting “we need to support our allies” but wanting the money spent on British arms production instead.
The two sides did meet on defence. Yes voters called Ukraine's fight a shield against a wider Russian threat; No voters argued that the same money should arm the UK itself. Neither framed it as charity, and both framed it as security.
The verdict, in the words of one No voter, comes down to a plain complaint: “We need to look after ourselves right now.”
123 Opinions
Throwing money at defence firms and making no efforts at brokering peace shows the UK government WANTS the war to continue indefinitely. Zelensky and European leaders have no end game. What have the PM and ministers done to broker peace? Where are talks to end the war? Where were the talks to end the horrendous situation in Oleshky?
More money for a foreign country whilst the UK crumbles, oh the joys
£3tn in debt people are going to be choosing between heating and eating yet we’re sending yet more unaudited money to defend someone else’s borders when our own are so easily breached
We're on our arses, and he's giving money away. Top one, nice one, get sorted...
We are massively in debt; our own armed forces are underfunded. We are being threatened with military takeover of the Falkland Islands & our politicians give yet more money to Ukraine. It’s stupid.
Yes, we need to support our allies. Is this the right way? No. Far better to increase production of our military hardware (creating jobs and growth here) and letting Ukraine buy it at cost price.
No absolutely NOT! Zelensky is a grifter and I never signed up to give him billions ! I guess he needs more laundermats!
We arw broke stop giving away money we dont have!
Why are we giving our money away? The UK is in a terrible state, taxes through the roof, the cost of living becoming more and more expensive, but we somehow manage to fund other countries? How about funding to ease the burden on our own people, if there is anything left over then we can be charitable.
Ukraine is full of corruption and is currently buiding a 1.5 bn ski resort , WTF !! Plus we were on our knees in WW2 , the US came to our aid with lend lease , we finished paying them off in 2006, why are we not doing tge same with Ukraine ?