There has been a sizeable increase in the number of Britons saying the UK should seek a stronger relationship with Europe rather than the USA
With the Trump administration imposing tariffs on a multitude of other countries, raised doubts over American willingness to protect Europe, praised foreign dictators like Vladimir Putin, and risked inflaming conflict in the Middle East, it is perhaps no surprise to see that British attitudes towards the US as an international partner have cooled.
An examination of new YouGov tracker data finds that, where in December 42% of Britons had said that the USA is a friend and ally of Britain and Europe, this figure has since fallen to 30%. This is the lowest figure since YouGov started tracking this question in 2019, and means that six months into Donald Trump’s second term of office attitudes towards the US are more negative in this regard than they were during the tail end of his first stint in the White House.
Opinion has shifted towards considering the US “generally unfriendly” towards the UK and Europe (up eight points to 17%) or an outright hostile threat to the continent (up six points to 9%).
Reform voters are the most likely to say that the US is a friend and ally to Britain and Europe, although at 49% this figure has fallen nine points, from 58% in December. This sentiment has likewise fallen by 12 pts among Labour voters, 14pts among Lib Dems, and by 19pts among Conservatives.
Consequently, it is no surprise to see that the proportion of Britons who describe the US and UK as having a close relationship has fallen from 41% to 35%, and the number wanting a weaker relationship with the US has risen from 13% to 21%.
Britons are increasingly likely to say that, out of the US and Europe, the UK should seek a stronger relationship with the latter, with 42% now saying so in our latest poll, a nine point increase since December. This is a substantively higher figure than it has been previously, including at the end of Trump’s previous presidency.
Further YouGov research has also uncovered British scepticism of the US as an international partner, with a recent survey on NATO finding that only 22% think it is “very likely” that America would come to the UK’s aid in the event of a Russian attack.
Separately, our latest EuroTrack favourability figures from May found that only 39% of Britons now have a favourable opinion of the USA, only fractionally higher than the low point in February of this year, and significantly lower than under Joe Biden’s presidency.
This article uses data from the following YouGov trackers
- Is the USA a friendly ally towards Britain and other European countries?
- How close is the special relationship between the UK and US?
- Should Britain have a stronger relationship with the US?
- Should Britain have a stronger relationship with Europe or the US?
What do you think about Britain's relationship with the USA, whether we should lean more towards the EU, and everything else? Have your say, join the YouGov panel, and get paid to share your thoughts. Sign up here.
Photo: Getty
