Lilico: Which friends does Britain want?
The following article appeared on the Conservative Home blog and is presented with the permission of the author.
Which countries do Britons regard most favourably? Our neighbours and partners in the EU? Our ally and protector, the United States? Chatham House and YouGov has polled opinion on this, and results are consistent over time – and not close. There are three countries Britons regard enormously more favourably than anyone else – Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Each of these gets around 45 per cent favourability ratings and approximately zero unfavourability. The next closest is the US, with over 30 per cent favourability and around 10 per cent unfavourability, comparable on net balance with the best European performer, the Netherlands, at around 25 per cent favourability and 1 per cent unfavourability. Interestingly, another English-speaking country, Ireland, gets only around 20 per cent favourability (and 10 per cent unfavourability) suggesting (if the US example weren’t enough) that the attitude to Australia, New Zealand and Canada is not purely one of common language, history and race. Neither, given India gets only around 5% favourability and 10 per cent unfavourability, can it be seen as a Commonwealth linkage.
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