Pollsters Electoral Calculus and Find Out Now have run a poll for the Daily Express on the balance between the British national interest and global co-operation, and whether the Labour government is getting the balance right.
Fieldwork was conducted from 20‐22 of January 2025, with a sample size of over 2,000. Respondents were asked whether British national interests should come first, and whether Labour is putting British interests first too. There were also specific questions on compensation for Gerry Adams, the Chagos Islands plan, and the Elgin Marbles.
The main findings are:
Below you can find a results breakdown for each question of the poll and what the data conveys.
Q1. "Thinking about how Britain deals with other countries, which of the following comes closest to your own views?"
| Response | All voters | LAB | CON | Reform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| We should usually put the British national interest first | 41% | 26% | 63% | 75% |
| We should balance the British national interest with global co-operation | 34% | 53% | 26% | 14% |
| We should usually put global co-operation first | 3% | 4% | 0% | 2% |
| Don't know | 22% | 17% | 11% | 9% |
A majority of Britons (41pc) believe we should put the British national interest first in foreign policy, while very few (3pc) think global co-operation should be prioritised. There are 34pc people who think we should strike a balance between the two and a considerable amount, 22pc, who do not know which direction foreign policy should go in.
There is a strong partisan divide among voters' views. Most Conservative voters (63pc) and Reform voters (75pc) place the British national interest first, while the majority of Labour voters (53pc) opt for a balance between national interest and global co-operation.
Q2. "Which of the following statements best reflects your views on Labour's priorities?"
| Response | All voters | LAB | CON | Reform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour usually puts the British national interest first | 5% | 10% | 4% | 0% |
| Labour balances the British national interest with global co-operation | 14% | 36% | 4% | 4% |
| Labour usually puts global co-operation first | 29% | 15% | 50% | 69% |
| Don't know | 52% | 39% | 42% | 28% |
When considering Labour's position, 52pc of voters do not know where Labour's priorities lie, while 29pc think that Labour favours global co-operation. Only 5pc think they place Britain's national interests first, and 14pc believe they are balancing the two.
Opinions are more definitive when considering party preference, with a majority of 36pc of Labour voters thinking their party is balancing national and global interests. Most Conservative voters (50pc) and Reform voters (69pc) tend to think that Labour prioritises global co-operation instead, while only 4pc of Conservatives think national interest is more important for Labour and none of the Reform voters.
Q3. "The government is planning legal changes which could see compensation paid to Gerry Adams, former Sinn Fein leader and believed to be part of the IRA, for being arrested without trial in the 1970s. Do you agree or disagree with compensation being paid to Gerry Adams?"
| Response | All voters | LAB | CON | Reform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agree strongly | 2% | 3% | 0% | 1% |
| Agree | 6% | 9% | 2% | 3% |
| Neither agree nor disagree | 12% | 19% | 5% | 6% |
| Disagree | 16% | 19% | 16% | 14% |
| Disagree strongly | 36% | 23% | 69% | 64% |
| Don't know | 28% | 28% | 9% | 13% |
| Net Agree | 8% | 12% | 2% | 4% |
| Net Disagree | 52% | 42% | 84% | 78% |
Figures exclude those refused to answer (5%).
The majority of Britons (52pc) disagree with compensation being paid to Gerry Adams for his imprisonment in the 1970s in relation to IRA bombings. Only 8pc agree with the compensation that could result from Starmer's legal changes and there is a significant number (28pc) of people that do not know where they stand.
When looking at partisan divide, most of the undecided people are Labour supporters, as 28pc of them don't know whether compensation should be paid or not. A staggering majority of Conservative voters (84pc) and of Reform voters (78%) do not agree with the compensation.
Q4. "The government plans to hand over the Chagos Islands, a British territory in the Indian Ocean, to Mauritius and also to pay Mauritius a reported £90 million each year to lease Diego Garcia, a key Western defence base on the islands. Do you agree or disagree with Britian giving the Chagos Islands to Mauritius?"
| Response | All voters | LAB | CON | Reform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agree strongly | 6% | 10% | 2% | 2% |
| Agree | 12% | 23% | 4% | 6% |
| Neither agree nor disagree | 14% | 16% | 12% | 8% |
| Disagree | 14% | 11% | 19% | 14% |
| Disagree strongly | 25% | 12% | 52% | 60% |
| Don't know | 29% | 29% | 11% | 10% |
| Net Agree | 18% | 32% | 6% | 7% |
| Net Disagree | 40% | 23% | 71% | 74% |
Figures exclude those refused to answer (5%).
A plurality of Britons (40pc) disagree with returning the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, while 18pc would agree with the return, 14pc are neutral and 29pc do not know.
Many Labour voters (32pc), agree with the return of the islands, though many other (29c) are unsure. A clear majority of Conservative voters (71pc) and Reform voters (74pc) disagree with the hand-over of Chagos.
Q5. "The Elgin Marbles, from the Athens Parthenon, were brought to the UK in the early 1800s and are currently displayed in the British Museum. The Greek government would like them returned to Greece, but others say they should stay in Britain. Do you agree or disagree with the return of the Elgin Marbles to Greece?"
| Response | All voters | LAB | CON | Reform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agree strongly | 19% | 30% | 11% | 11% |
| Agree | 27% | 32% | 24% | 26% |
| Neither agree nor disagree | 17% | 12% | 25% | 22% |
| Disagree | 7% | 4% | 15% | 12% |
| Disagree strongly | 7% | 3% | 16% | 17% |
| Don't know | 23% | 18% | 9% | 12% |
| Net Agree | 46% | 62% | 35% | 37% |
| Net Disagree | 14% | 8% | 31% | 29% |
Figures exclude those refused to answer (4%).
There is a preference for the return of the Elgin Marbles to Greece, with 46pc in agreement and only 14pc against, with 17pc neutral and 23pc don't know.
Most Labour voters (62pc) agree with the return of the marbles, while Conservative and Reform voters are more divided on the matter. Among Conservatives, 35pc agree with the return and 31pc disagree. Among Reform voters, 37pc agree and 29pc disagree.
Martin Baxter, CEO of Electoral Calculus, said: "Our poll shows that the public want British national interests to be one of the main drivers of policy, but many worry that Labour is going in a different direction. The Chagos islands are an interesting example, where public support for handing them over is limited. It remains to be seen if the new Trump administration will try to stop the plan."
Find Out Now polled 2,027 GB adults online between 20-22 January 2025. The sample was weighted to be representative by gender, age, social grade, other demographics and past voting patterns. Regression techniques were used to infer projected seat results.
Find Out Now and Electoral Calculus are both members of the British Polling Council and abide by its rules.
Data tables for this poll are available here.
Electoral Calculus is a pollster and political consultancy specialising in quantitative analysis and modelling for electoral and other market research projects. It has successfully predicted UK general elections since 2010. It was founded by Martin Baxter, its CEO.
Electoral Calculus is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules, and is a company partner of the Market Research Society.
Find Out Now is a polling and market research panel with 2.8 million members. Highly profiled respondents can be targeted instantly, with over 100,000 daily responses allowing the delivery of same-day nationally representative sampling.
Find Out Now are a member of the British Polling Council and abide by its rules, and are a company partner of the Market Research Society.