UN voting record · Europe
How the United Kingdom votes at the UN
The United Kingdom votes with France and its European partners on most issues at the General Assembly. In 2025 it agreed with France on 96% of recorded votes (votes where each country's choice is listed) and with Germany on 93%. Its agreement with the United States fell from 77% in 2024 to 28% in 2025, because the United States began voting against texts the United Kingdom supports.
- 96%
With FranceIts closest partner - 93%
With GermanyEuropean partner - 28%
With the USIn 2024: 77% - 75%
With ChinaIn 2024: 48%
Share of recorded General Assembly votes on which the United Kingdom and each country voted the same way, 2025.
Does the UK vote with the US at the UN?
The United Kingdom agreed with the United States much less in 2025 than before. The United States voted no on 174 of 192 recorded votes. In July 2026 it told the UN it "remains committed to accelerating progress on the 2030 Agenda" (the UN's development targets for 2030). Even at 28%, it was the 7th-closest to the United States of the 190 members that voted.
As a nuclear-weapon state the United Kingdom voted no with France, Russia and the United States on a resolution about the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons. It voted no with the United States and Israel on two decolonization resolutions, and abstained on others about individual territories. On February 24, 2025, the United Kingdom and the United States voted differently on a General Assembly resolution on Ukraine for the first time. Barbara Woodward, the United Kingdom's ambassador at the time, said that day: "A peace that rewards aggression is not a real peace."
How did the UK's votes on Gaza change?
The United Kingdom abstained on resolutions about Gaza in October and December 2023 and on Palestine's UN membership in May 2024, then voted yes from December 2024. In October 2023 a government spokesperson said "we cannot vote for a resolution that is silent on the largest terror attack in Israel's history." The Labour government took office in July 2024. It abstained in September 2024 on a resolution backing the International Court of Justice's opinion on Israel's occupation. It first voted yes on a Gaza ceasefire resolution on December 11, 2024. In June 2025 Barbara Woodward, the United Kingdom's ambassador at the time, said it voted to "end the suffering in Gaza, bring the hostages home and move towards lasting peace in the region."
The United Kingdom recognized Palestine on September 21, 2025. The next day at the UN, Yvette Cooper, then Foreign Secretary, said: "For decades, my country supported a two-state solution but only recognised one state. That changes now." On September 8, 2026, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said "the official view of the British Government is that the occupation is unlawful" and announced plans to ban imports of goods from Israeli settlements, with a law expected in 6 to 9 months.
- Oct 2023Humanitarian truce in Gaza120 yes, 14 no, 45 abstainedAbstained
- Dec 2023Humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza153 yes, 10 no, 23 abstainedAbstained
- May 2024Palestine's UN membership bid143 yes, 9 no, 25 abstainedAbstained
- Dec 2024Ceasefire in Gaza, December 2024158 yes, 9 no, 13 abstainedYes
- Jun 2025Ceasefire in Gaza, June 2025149 yes, 12 no, 19 abstainedYes
- Sep 2025The New York Declaration on a two-state solution142 yes, 10 no, 12 abstainedYes
Why did the UK lose the vote on the Chagos Islands?
In 2019 the General Assembly demanded that the United Kingdom end its administration of the Chagos Islands within six months, by 116 votes to 6. Only Australia, Hungary, Israel, the Maldives and the United States voted with the United Kingdom. The vote followed an International Court of Justice advisory opinion the Assembly had requested in 2017.
In May 2025 the United Kingdom signed a treaty recognizing Mauritius's sovereignty over the islands while keeping the Diego Garcia military base for an initial 99 years, extendable by another 40. As of October 2026 the treaty is not ratified. The implementing bill did not pass before Parliament's session ended, and in September 2026 US President Donald Trump said, after meeting Prime Minister Andy Burnham, "I don't support it."
- Jun 2017Asking the court for an advisory opinion94 yes, 15 no, 65 abstainedNo
- May 2019Demanding the UK leave the islands116 yes, 6 no, 56 abstainedNo
Which countries vote most like the United Kingdom?
Compare with any country →In 2025 the United Kingdom voted most like France, then Australia, Estonia, Croatia, South Korea and Monaco. It voted least like the United States, Nauru, Argentina and Israel.
- France96%
Australia94%
Estonia94%
Croatia94%
South Korea94%
Monaco94%
- United States28%
Nauru45%
Argentina46%
Israel49%
Paraguay68%
How did the United Kingdom vote on the big votes?
| Vote | United Kingdom | United States | France | China | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A just and lasting peace in UkraineFebruary 24, 2025 | Yes | No | Yes | Abstained | Adopted 93–18 |
| Demanding a permanent ceasefire in GazaJune 12, 2025 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Adopted 149–12 |
| The New York Declaration on two statesSeptember 12, 2025 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Adopted 142–10 |
| The status of JerusalemDecember 21, 2017 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Adopted 128–9 |
| Ending the US embargo on CubaOctober 29, 2025 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Adopted 165–7 |
Where does the United Kingdom sit?
The United Kingdom sits in the European cluster, between the developing countries on the left and the United States on the right.
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