Keeping the Falkland Islands British is not very important, under-25s say – days after leaked White House memo threatened to ‘review’ UK claim

Only one in ten young people think it is ‘very important’ for the Falklands to remain British, a new poll has shown.

Voters under 25 are less likely than older people to think it is necessary for the UK to maintain sovereignty over the islands, according to polling by More in Common.

The statement came just days after the US threatened to ‘review’ its claim to the Falkland Islands as punishment for Britain’s failure to support the Iran war.

The threat, spread after the leak of an email apparently prepared by a junior adviser, triggered a diplomatic crisis on the eve of the King’s visit to Washington.

Argentina’s libertarian President Javier Milei, a Trump ally, was immediately optimistic about the proposals.

“We are doing everything humanly possible to ensure that the Argentine Malvinas, the islands and the entire region fall into Argentinian hands,” Milei said in a radio interview published on his X account.

‘We are making progress like never before.’

Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman responded by saying the Prime Minister ‘could not have been clearer’ that the Falkland Islands were a sovereign British Overseas Territory.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio later weighed in on the debate, dismissing it as ‘just an email’ and saying the response was exaggerated.

Only one in ten young people think it is ‘very important’ for the Falklands to remain British, new poll finds

In the survey of 2,041 British adults, just nine per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds think it is ‘very important’ for the Falkland Islands to remain British.

This compared with 29 per cent of all Britons who responded with the same rating.

Meanwhile, just 19 per cent of under-25s said it was ‘quite important’ that the Falkland Islands remain UK possession, compared to 22 per cent of all voters.

More in Common’s research also found that 56 per cent of British people would favor military intervention if Argentina tried to take over the islands.

Senior defense officials have criticized those who think the Falkland Islands’ future is up for negotiation.

Shadow defense secretary James Cartlidge told Telegram: ‘Frankly, we all hope that a situation never arises where we have to fight to get the Falkland Islands back.

‘But in a world where threats are increasing on all fronts, it underlines why Labor must step up to 3 per cent to defend Parliament and fully invest in our Armed Forces.’

A Ministry of Defense spokesman said: ‘The Government’s determination to protect the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands is unwavering.

‘Our defensive posture in the South Atlantic is solid; It consists of air, land and naval forces with a strong and persistent presence in the Falkland Islands, including RAF Typhoon fighter jets.

‘We have full confidence that our current military presence is sufficient to ensure the defense of the islands, and we keep this under constant review.’

Royal Marine Peter Robinson carrying the Union Jack as he marched towards Stanley in the final hours of the Falklands War in June 1982

The Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory located in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean, remain the subject of a sovereignty dispute between the United Kingdom and Argentina.

Britain and Argentina fought a brief war over the islands in 1982 after Argentina made an unsuccessful attempt to take them.

255 British soldiers, three islanders and 649 Argentine personnel lost their lives in the conflict.

On the 43rd anniversary of the war on April 2 last year, President Milei said he wanted to turn Argentina into a strong nation, which is why people in the Falklands chose the struggling South American country over Britain.

He said, calling the islands the Malvinas: ‘When it comes to sovereignty over the Malvinas, we make it clear that the most important vote of all is the one made with feet, and we hope that the Malvinas people will one day decide to vote with their feet for us.

‘So we’re trying to be a force, so that they choose to be Argentinians, so that we don’t have to use deterrence or persuasion to achieve that.’

A year ago he publicly acknowledged that the Falkland Islands were currently ‘in the hands of the United Kingdom’ and promised to get them back through diplomatic channels, but conceded there was no ‘immediate solution’.

He made his acceptance after promising a ‘road map’ for the islands to become Argentina.

In the past, Mr Milei has praised Margaret Thatcher, who was British Prime Minister during the conflict.