Following the announcement of 10% tariffs on all UK exports to the United States, new polling from More in Common shows that two-thirds of Britons are worried about tariffs, with fears of impact on the cost of living and a transatlantic relationship Britons increasingly see as fraught and unstable.
Only 43 per cent of Britons now think that the US is an ally to the UK. This figure has declined since the beginning of March, when 49 per cent considered the US an ally. Meanwhile the proportion who see the US as an enemy has almost doubled from 8 per cent to 15 per cent. More than a third (34 per cent) say that the United States are neither an ally nor an enemy.
Fifty-six per cent of Britons think that Donald Trump’s decision to increase new tariffs will have a negative impact on UK-US relationships, while only 12 per cent think it will have a positive impact.
More in Common’s polling shows that more than half of the public (51 per cent) think that the UK should retaliate with tariffs on imports from the US. Only 27 per cent would oppose this.
While Labour voters are most firm in their support for retaliation – 61 per cent support; 25 per cent oppose – this is a view that spans across every voter group except for Reform voters, who are split down the middle (43 per cent support, 44 per cent oppose).
More in Common has found that the proportion of Britons who are worried about tariffs has increased since ‘Liberation Day’.
67 per cent say they are now worried about tariffs, including almost a quarter (23 per cent) who say they are ‘very worried’. This is an increase of 8 points since the week before Trump announced the tariffs, when six in ten (59 per cent) Britons said they were worried.
Alongside damaging global trade and the ability of British companies to export, Britons worry that the tariffs will worsen the cost of living crisis, and stymie economic growth in the UK.
If there is a silver lining to the tariffs, it’s that the public finally feel they are seeing a dividend of Brexit: the lower tariff rate than that imposed on the EU.
Britons tend to see the comparatively lower rate tariff as a good deal: 38 per cent think it was a good deal, 12 per cent think it was a bad deal and 32 per cent say neither.
Voters on both sides of the Brexit debate see this as a benefit of our decision to leave the EU. In total, 57 per cent see the lower tariff as a benefit of Brexit – although few think that this dividend was worth leaving the EU.
Asked whether the Prime Minister’s actions are responsible for securing the lower tariff rate for Britain, 45 per cent say ‘somewhat’ or ‘almost entirely’ responsible, while 36 per cent think that he was not responsible.
Unsurprisingly, Labour voters are the most likely to give the PM credit. However, 40 per cent of Conservative voters and 43 per cent of Reform voters also agree that he is – to some extent – responsible for the better deal.
Asked whether they would support various concessions being made in order to reverse the tariffs, the public tend to oppose any changes to UK policy.
The most unpopular measure of those polled would be to allow American companies to import chlorinated chicken into Britain: 62 per cent of Britons would oppose this, while only 16 per cent would support it
The public also tends to oppose the suggested repealing of the Digital Services Tax.
The comparatively low tariff on UK imports may have evoked sighs of relief in Westminster, but it has done little to ease the public’s sense of concern. Our new polling shows that two-thirds of Brits are worried about the tariffs, and expect to feel the impact on the cost of living and economic growth. But despite this concern, most want to see the government stand up to the US: making concessions around chlorinated chicken or the war in Ukraine would be highly unpopular among voters – and more than half would support the UK retaliating against the US. For many Britons, ‘Liberation Day’ threatens to further deteriorate the already strained relationship between our two countries. Less than half of the British public now see the US as an ally. If there is a silver lining, it's that the public finally feel they are seeing a dividend of Brexit – most Britons – including remain voters – think that the lower tariff is a benefit of leaving the EU.
Luke Tryl, More in Common
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