Brits have given their verdict on some of the biggest issues facing the country. The Mirror poll by Electoral Calculus and Find Out now shows voters’ views on major topics from tariffs, to ties with the EU, to NHS dentistry, and controversial benefit cuts.
It comes as Keir Starmer prepares to return from his Easter holidays to face his first major electoral test since winning power at next week’s local elections. Rachel Reeves will also head to Washington DC in a critical week for the Chancellor as she seeks to ease the pain on British firms hit by Donald Trump’s tariffs. The Mirror poll suggests the public are against hitting back with levies if it results in higher prices at tills while half – 50% – also want to see closer ties with the EU.
With concerns around online safety for kids high on the agenda, our survey shows a clear majority want to see a legal ban on phones in the classroom. And it suggests half the population is not being covered by an NHS dentist with just 53% of adults reporting getting an appointment in the last two years.
BLUESKY: Follow our Mirror Politics account on Bluesky here. And follow our Mirror Politics team here – Lizzy Buchan, Mikey Smith, Kevin Maguire, Sophie Huskisson, Dave Burke and Ashley Cowburn.
POLITICS WHATSAPP: Be first to get the biggest bombshells and breaking news by joining our Politics WhatsApp group here. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you want to leave our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
NEWSLETTER: Or sign up here to the Mirror’s Politics newsletter for all the best exclusives and opinions straight to your inbox.
PODCAST: And listen to our exciting new political podcast The Division Bell, hosted by the Mirror and the Express every Thursday.
Martin Baxter, CEO of Electoral Calculus, said: “Voters are clearly in favour of a ban on mobile phones in schools. This adds to an increasing pile of evidence showing the public want action on this.
“Interestingly, the British public does not want to follow President Trump down the tariff-raising road. Labour voters are particularly enthusiastic about closer trade ties with the EU, but Reform voters are against. Keir Starmer may have to tread carefully on this if he wants to win back defectors to Reform.”
More Brits are against hiking tariffs on imports to the UK to help rebuild the manufacturing industry if it results in increased prices at the till. The poll shows 37% disagree with the move – compared to just 16% in favour. A higher number – 46% – are either neutral or undecided.
The pollsters said Labour voters were even more opposed, “perhaps because they associate this policy with Donald Trump“. It follows the US President’s decision earlier this month to impose sweeping levies on countries across the globe – sending shockwaves across worldwide markets.
A baseline of 10% levy on UK goods remains in place but the British car industry is still reeling from a 25% tariff on UK-made motors sold to the US. It comes as Rachel Reeves prepares to jet to Washington DC this week as part of efforts to strike a deal with the White House to soften the brunt of tariffs.
In an interview with The Mirror last week the Chancellor warned the UK will not accept a deal that crosses the UK’s red lines. She added: “Well, we’re not going to rush into something that isn’t the right thing for Britain. But we are intensely negotiating with our American counterparts to get a better deal for British industry and British jobs, and that is our focus at the moment.”
Our survey shows most people want to see closer trade ties with the European Union. Asked whether Donald Trump’s erratic trade policy means the UK should seek closer ties with the blow, 50% of all voters agreed. Just 14% are opposed while the figure is much higher – 30% – among those who voted for Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform UK at the last election.
It comes as Keir Starmer presses on with his EU “reset” with leaders from the bloc after years of divisive debates over Brexit. The PM is also set to host a major UK-EU summit in London next month with leaders including European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
Britain is then expected to roll-out the red carpet for France’s Emmanuel Macron. The French President has been invited by the King on his first state visit to the UK at the end of May, according to reports over the weekend.
Mr Macron, who took office at the Elysee Palace almost eight years ago, was never given the honour under the Conservatives. Disaster ex-PM Liz Truss even mocked the French leader, questioning whether he was a “friend or foe” to the UK as she ran for the Tory leadership.
Voters are split down the middle over whether the government should borrow more to avoid cutting benefits for the sick and disabled. The Mirror’s polling shows 33% of respondents believe ministers should hike borrowing to avoid benefit cuts – compared to 30% who disagree.
But the figure is much higher among Labour voters, with 42% opting for more borrowing. It follows the controversial decision of the Labour government last month to slash £4.8billion from the welfare bill – prompting outrage from charities.
Most of the cash saved will come from tightening the eligibility for a key disability benefit – Personal Independence Payments (PIP). An impact assessment showed the move risks an extra 250,000 people – including 50,000 kids – falling into poverty as a result of the changes.
MPs are expected to vote on some of the most severe cuts to PIP benefits in June with No10 bracing for a significant rebellion among Labour MPs. More than 25 Labour backbenchers have so far said they will not back the government according to a tally by the LabourList website.
Almost half of the population is not being covered by an NHS dentist – storing up an oral health timebomb – our polling suggests. The Mirror poll asked Brits if they had been able to get a check up with an NHS dentist in the last two years.
The survey found only 53% of adults reported getting an appointment in the last two years. The NHS states that adults should get a routine check-up at most every two years, with some higher needs patients needing more frequent appointments.
Eddie Crouch, chair of the British Dental Association, said: “The millions missing out on care are storing up problems for the future that could have been nipped in the bud. The Treasury need to realise the failure to invest in dentistry is a false economy, that means greater costs for taxpayers, and more pain for patients.”
It comes after a damning report found the Government is only funding NHS dentistry enough so that just half the population can be seen. The cross-party Public Accounts Committee has concluded the dentists payment contract is “not fit for purpose” and should be ripped up and a new funding framework introduced.
It follows reports that the Treasury has been behind delays to reform as it had not committed how much to increase funding for NHS dentistry in England. The Mirror has launched the Dentists for All campaign calling for a return to universal NHS access. We previously revealed that 96% of practices are not taking on new adult NHS patients.
A clear majority of voters want a new law to ban mobile phones in school, our poll found. Almost 65% of those said they would support the move – with just 10% opposed – amid concerns over the harmful content on smartphones.
It also found a majority among voters of every party, including Labour, the Tories, Reform UK and the Greens. Keir Starmer has previously argued a legal ban on phones is “completely unnecessary” highlighting the vast majority of schools already have policies in force.
Schools in England were given non-statutory guidance under the former Tory government intended to stop the use of phones during lessons and lunchtime. Daniel Kebede, the General Secretary of the country’s biggest education union, the NEU, last week argued for a legal ban on mobile phones in schools.
He told The Mirror: “The access children and young people have to toxic and harmful content on smartphones is a huge concern. Effective policies at school level can drive down screen time but we also need to be addressing the need for tighter restrictions on social media companies. Their tokenistic efforts to protect children from harmful content are clearly not fit for purpose.”
Get UK politics insight with our free daily email briefing straight to your inbox