UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – A survey conducted by Ipsos Mori reveals that the British public prefers a closer relationship with the EU over the US due to concerns over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
According to the latest poll, a significant portion of the Britons want stronger ties with the European Union rather than the newly elected President Trump.
Who participated in the Ipsos Mori poll and what are the Briton’s EU preferences?
Earlier this week, an Ipsos Mori survey of 1,092 British adults was carried out amid growing global economic tensions, as the Trump administration issued tariff warnings on China, Canada, Mexico, and the EU.
According to the poll, around half of Britons favour a stronger relationship with the EU, the highest level of support for the bloc since 2019. However, only 21% back closer ties with the United States, while 15% prefer the Commonwealth.
The survey also indicates that 48% of respondents now believe Brexit has affected them negatively, marking a rise from 28% who shared the same view in March 2021.
When asked about the UK-EU relationship, 32% of participants viewed enhancing trade deals to facilitate the smoother movement of goods and services as their major concern.
As reported by The Independent, the survey also highlighted significant priorities, including tackling illegal immigration by collaborating with the EU (26%), and 21% said working on crime and terrorism prevention.
The recent survey also disclosed that just 34% of British citizens feel confident that Britain and the EU will work together to tackle the most pressing issues, with 52% remaining lacking confidence in the process.
Ipsos senior director of UK Politics, Gideon Skinner, stated, “Amidst political volatility in both the US and Europe, Britons are increasingly viewing Europe as the most important relationship for Britain.”
What did Paul Adamson, head of the EU-UK Forum, say about EU-UK cooperation?
The chair of the EU-UK Forum and the poll’s commissioner, Paul Adamson, stated that there is a widespread call for stronger EU-UK collaboration across numerous sectors.
Mr Adamson added,
“But the absence of visible progress leads inevitably to the public feeling pessimistic about progress in strengthening the relationship. Today’s conference is an opportunity to take stock in a public setting about what is being done and what remains to be achieved.”
What did Mike Galsworthy, from European Movement UK say about the survey results?
Dr Mike Galsworthy, chair of the pro-EU campaign group European Movement UK, said the recent poll results align with YouGov’s findings from last week, which reveal that
“British citizens are becoming more frustrated with the adverse impacts of Brexit.”
He added,
“Being outside the European Single Market is costing our economy £115 billion a year, and the public finances more than £40 billion a year. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) predicts a 15 per cent hit to the trade intensity of our economy.”
What are tariffs?
Tariffs are taxes imposed on items imported from other nations and calculated as a percentage of the product’s value or a fixed amount per unit.
A 10% tariff was imposed by Trump on products coming from China. This means a $10 item would face an extra $1 charge. The newly elected president initially proposed a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico.
Will the UK face tariffs?
Mr Trump told the BBC that Britain was acting “out of line,” but indicated a potential solution could be reached.
He warned that the EU could face tariffs “soon,” arguing that they take little from the US, while the US imports a significant amount of their goods in return.
Jonathan Reynolds, the UK’s business secretary, argued that the US should not impose tariffs on Britain, highlighting that the US sends more products to the UK than it imports.