A clear majority of UK voters believe the government should prioritise strengthening trade ties with the EU over pursuing a new economic deal with the United States, according to new polling released this weekend.
The findings, published by the internationalist thinktank Best for Britain, suggest that public opinion has shifted decisively since the Brexit referendum, with many voters now viewing the UK’s economic future as more closely aligned with its European neighbours. The trend has been reinforced in recent days by the financial market turmoil triggered by President Trump’s escalating trade war, which has cast further doubt on the stability of future UK-US trade relations.
The polling — carried out by YouGov between 31 March and 2 April, as Trump’s tariff policy was unfolding — found that 53% of voters believe closer EU ties would positively impact the UK economy, compared to just 13% who saw it as negative. In terms of trade specifically, 68% of respondents said they believed improved EU relations would boost UK-EU commerce.
Asked what Prime Minister Keir Starmer should prioritise at the upcoming UK-EU summit in May, the most popular choice was “trade between the UK and the EU”, narrowly ahead of issues such as illegal immigration and defence cooperation. Even among voters who said they would consider backing Reform UK, nearly half said better EU ties would improve trade and travel — far outnumbering those who viewed it negatively.
By contrast, when presented with 20 potential government priorities, securing new trade deals with the US ranked just 17th, far behind concerns about inflation, the tax burden, and economic growth.
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