This paper explores public attitudes towards trade policy in the UK through a series of citizen juries. Unlike experimental survey-based approaches to trade policy preferences, this study qualitatively analyses deliberative discussions to gain insights into public perceptions of and trust in trade policy decision-making. Five juries, geographically representative of their localities across the UK, deliberated on four trade-off scenarios encompassing workers' rights, sectoral balancing, digital trade, and food/environmental standards. The public firmly believes that the government should make trade policy decisions, less out of trust than out of a lack of alternatives. Across all scenarios, participants acknowledge the important role of experts in informing trade policy decisions, both independent (e.g., academics, researchers) and sectoral (e.g., workers, business representatives). This desire for expert input reflects the public's recognition of their own limited knowledge and the complexity of trade issues. While participants generally did not advocate for direct public decision-making on trade policy, they consistently expressed a strong desire for greater public consultation, transparency and accountability. This reflected some mistrust in the government’s handling of fairness and distributional impacts. This research also underscores the importance of addressing public distrust in government and business to foster a more inclusive and legitimate trade policy process.

Read the document