Britons have various ideas about Trump state visit to Britain. Almost half say it was wrong to issue the invitation, and only a quarter think it will improve UK-US relations. New YouGov/Sky figures show that half of Britons believe it was wrong to invite Trump for a second state visit. The Guardian view on Trump’s state visit to Britain: plenty of glitter, but this was gilt, not gold. More than six in ten Labour (62%) and Lib Dem voters (64%) think the president should not have received another invitation. Seventy % of Green voters also share this idea.
Even with the celebratory atmosphere, trade friction remains unresolved. Although the UK has spent a lot on the Trump state visit to Britain, the visit has had nothing good for the UK. London has delayed a move to cut the 25% tariff on British steel exports to the US. This delay is despite an earlier agreement to eliminate it.
YouGov Reports: Trump State Visit to Britain was Wrong
Britons have different ideas about Trump state visit to Britain. Almost half say it was wrong to issue the invitation, and only a quarter think it will improve UK-US relations. New YouGov/Sky figures show that half of Britons (45%) believe it was wrong to invite Trump for a second state visit. 30% think it was the right move. More than six in ten Labour (62%) and Lib Dem voters (64%) believe the president should not have received another invitation. Seventy % of Green voters also share the same idea.
Conservatives also tend to view the invitation as incorrect, but at a much-reduced rate of 46%. By contrast, more than six in ten Reform voters (64%) back the visit.
Britain’s View of Relations between the UK and the US:
71% of the public believe it is important for the British government to maintain positive relations with Donald Trump. However, separate data from a recent YouGov/Times poll shows that only 26% think the state visit will result in any improvement. Instead, half (51%) expect that the trip will make little difference to Anglo-American relations either way.
Regarding the bilateral relations between Keir Starmer and Donald Trump, Britons hold differing views. Thirty percent of Britons think the PM has been too positive towards Donald Trump and should have done more to criticize him. 27% say he has got the balance about right. Fewer (13%) think Starmer has been too critical of Donald Trump and should have done more to build a positive relationship.
No Good for the UK: Trump State Visit to Britain is Useless
Britons also have differing views on Starmer’s relationship with Trump. Almost three in ten Britons (29%) think it resulted in more favourable treatment for the UK than other countries have received. At the same time, more believe that the prime minister’s relationship with the president has made no difference to how the UK has been treated (38%). Only 9% think the US has been worse off as a result.
Separately, some have expressed concerns that the state visit may inadvertently involve the royal family in politics. Only 26% of Britons believe there is a real risk that this will occur. Instead, 43% see no real risk, with the remaining 31% unsure.
YouGov Reports: Trump’s Favourability in the UK
YouGov’s most recent favorability figures (25-26 August) show just 19% of Britons have a favourable opinion of the US president. 69% hold an unfavourable view (including 47% who are very negative about Trump). Most Britons (53%) say that Trump’s presidency has had a negative impact on the UK. 27% think it has made a very negative difference. Only 9% see Trump’s tenure as having had a positive impact on the UK. On the other hand, 27% do not think it has made much difference one way or the other.
Nor do many Britons think the president is good for his own country. A separate YouGov/Sky poll finds that only 19% believe he is doing a good job as US president. In contrast, 59% say he is doing a bad job. This latter figure includes 44% who say he is doing a “very” bad job. Unsurprisingly, few Britons (22%) think it would be a good thing if the British government were more like the US administration of Donald Trump. Reform UK voters are the exception, with 68% saying it would be good to copy Trump’s methods more closely.
Luxurious and Expensive
Trump state visit to Britain was luxurious. The Guardian views Trump state visit to Britain as plenty of glitter, but gilt, not gold. An unprecedented second state visit for a US president is an “extra-large” guard of honour. The UK rolled out not only the red carpet, a royal welcome, and a golden carriage, but also superlatives for Donald Trump’s visit. Sir Keir Starmer’s hyperbole on the memorandum of understanding on tech made his guest look almost understated: the Prime Minister boasted that the transatlantic partnership paved the way for new technologies to “amplify human potential, solve problems, cure diseases, and make us richer and freer.”
Bad for the UK after Trump’s Visit: Lots of Spending, No Tariff Reductions
Yet, there was an inverse relationship between the pomp and ceremony of this trip and its real significance. There is a difference between the grand declarations of amity and the actual state of transatlantic ties. US companies have pledged $ 150 billion in investment in the UK. The package coincides with US President Donald Trump’s second state visit to the country.
Even with the celebratory atmosphere, trade tensions remain unresolved. London has deferred a move to cut the 25% US tariff on British steel exports. The deferment is in effect despite an earlier agreement to eliminate it. Industry officials who have already been struggling financially complained that the deal has not taken off. The reason is attributed to an agreement in May. The framework promised tariff relief but required compliance with strict US “melted and poured” steel rules.
