British people still have a very positive impression of the job President Obama is doing, unlike in America
On a visit to Europe yesterday President Obama indicated that he thinks that Scottish independence would not be a good idea, saying that America's close relationship with the UK means that he hopes the country remains 'strong and united'. Though he made sure to emphasise that the decision was up to the people of Scotland in the upcoming referendum on independence in September, both sides were quick to try and win points with the British public by associating themselves with the President. Alex Salmond, leader of the pro-independence Scottish National Party quoted his 2008 election slogan of 'Yes we can' while anti-independence activists published a mock NOPE poster encouraging Scots to vote against independence, in part because of Obama's opposition to it.
President Obama's popularity at home has been hard hit by a range of issues, including ongoing economic troubles and the troubled implementation of a far-reaching and highly controversial healthcare reform law. More recently he has faced criticism over a scandal at a Veterans' Administration hospital in Phoenix that saw veterans die on waiting lists and his decision to free five Afghans from Guantanamo to secure the freedom of a US soldier held captive by the Taliban.
The latest research from YouGov shows that, according to Brits at least, Barack Obama is doing a wonderful job of being President. 76% of them say that he has done a good job, compared to only 12% who say that he has done a bad job. In the US the President gets a far tougher time, with only 41% of Americans approving of the job he does as President compared to 53% who disapprove.
While in the US attitudes to Obama are highly polarised between the left and the right, with only 9% of Republicans approving of his Presidency compared to 73% of Democrats, in the UK support for the President is high across the political spectrum. 70% of British Conservatives think he does a good job, along with 87% of centrist Liberal Democrats and 81% of left-wing Labour voters.
An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported that 76% of British people think that Barack Obama is doing a 'good job' and that 12% think he is doing a 'bad job'. The correct figures are 71% and 15%, respectively.
Full poll results for the US can be found here and for the UK here.
Image: Getty
