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A majority of Britons view the US as a “severe risk” to safety after the election of President Donald Trump, who has referred to himself as a “peacemaker” and aspires to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Seventy-two per cent of individuals stated America posed a “very” or “fairly severe” threat to international peace in April. That is double the 36 per cent of individuals final autumn, earlier than Trump was elected, in line with the newest British Social Attitudes survey printed on Wednesday.
Solely Russia — at 90 per cent — was perceived as a larger risk, placing the US forward of Israel and Iran, which have been each considered as a safety concern by 67 per cent of the British public.
Trump campaigned on a promise to shortly finish the Israel-Hamas conflict and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, however has fanned the flames of each conflicts since taking workplace for a second time.
The survey displays public perceptions earlier than the Israel-Iran conflict broke out and the US launched strikes on Iranian nuclear websites, prompting a tentative ceasefire.
Gianfranco Addario, analysis director on the Nationwide Centre for Social Analysis, which printed the information, stated Trump’s election had pushed public views of America as a risk to ranges “by no means seen earlier than”.
The query has been requested twice earlier than 2024, with considerations peaking at 47 per cent in 2005 following the US invasion of Iraq.
Trump campaigned on a promise to maintain America out of any new wars and stated in his second inaugural handle that his “proudest legacy can be that of a peacemaker”. He additionally has aspirations of successful the Nobel Peace Prize.
The most recent BSA survey, an annual examine that has been operating since 1983, was performed between September and October 2024.
A file 9 per cent of respondents — surveyed earlier than the UK authorities’s determination to enhance the navy funds — stated defence must be the highest precedence for further state spending, in contrast with simply 2 per cent when the query was final requested in 2021.
Addario stated the shift in attitudes was prone to persist long-term, including that the worldwide geopolitical scenario had deteriorated for the reason that finish of final 12 months.
Public help for reducing the welfare invoice and lowering authorities spending and taxation rose, though these views are nonetheless supported by solely a minority of individuals — 11 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively.
The proportion of people that stated spending on incapacity advantages ought to improve dipped beneath 50 per cent for the primary time in 2024, however was nonetheless 4 instances increased than share who needed to chop it.
Sir Keir Starmer’s authorities has pushed forward with plans to overtake incapacity help prompting a backlash amongst Labour MPs, who search to dam the contentious welfare invoice.
Sir John Curtice, senior analysis fellow at NatCen, stated the information advised that pursuing progress over tax rises would “not essentially be the better path” for Labour because it tries to repair public companies in a good fiscal surroundings.
“The political issue with these insurance policies is there are doubtlessly identifiable winners and losers, and it’s typically the losers who shout the loudest,” he added.
