Global Britain has a problem
Old assumptions about our place in the world are shifting
This is only going to be a short post, you’ll be relieved to hear. I am reading the annual survey just published by the British Foreign Policy Group, and it’s worth a look, especially if you are a geriatric-millennial Atlanticist like me.
The whole thing is quite long, but the key findings provide a good grounding for those interested in how the public sees our current place in the world, what they are concerned about, and all the usual stuff.
The main takeaway for me is that people seem to care less about geopolitics (12% drop in public interest) despite also thinking the world is becoming less stable and safe.
The survey puts this down to British people disconnecting as the rest of the world descends into chaos and becomes more volatile.
Young people, who I have been informed are our future, now trust China more than the United States and – despite everything – are still only 64% distrustful of Putin’s Russia. They are broadly less trusting of our traditional allies and less willing to support them in a crisis. Unsurprisingly, TikTok is the primary news source for these young people – make of that what you will.
The second big takeaway is on security and defence, where the public still seems confused. They understand that national security is in a real state and want it to be a top priority, but don’t want a dramatic rise in spending – especially if it means higher taxes, cutting welfare or the NHS.
Third and finally (from me, the report has loads more) is the EU question. Again, confusion. Even Leave voters now support greater cooperation with the EU in multiple areas (security, immigration, science, trade), though overall trust in the EU has fallen. BFPG explains that this is because interest in Europe is driven by push rather than pull factors: poor domestic economy and the US being crackers, rather than a particular attraction to Europe.
This tracks with almost all polling on Brexit, which typically shows regret and admissions of failure than full-throated Europeanism.
Read the whole thing here; it’s really interesting.