Trust in UK government ‘well below many other major democracies’

Just 35 per cent of people say they have faith in the government, writes Benedict Smith

(AFP via Getty Images)

Trust in the UK government is well below par compared with other major democracies, a survey has shown, with the public citing a lack of integrity in politics.

Just 35 per cent of people said they have faith in the government – 6 per cent less than the average for members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The UK scored lower than countries including Estonia, where the prime minister was brought down last year by a corruption investigation.

It did rank higher than France, Belgium and Japan.

The study, carried out in March, came after months of revelations about Downing Street lockdown parties, which eventually saw Boris Johnson fined by the police.

Coupled with sexual assault allegations against then-deputy chief whip Chris Pincher, the incident drained the Prime Minister’s support among Conservative MPs and forced his resignation last week.

Most of those surveyed believed politicians would take a lucrative private sector job in exchange for political favours – perhaps a result of recent “cash for favours” scandals.

Less than a third thought a policy would be changed if it proved unpopular, while 58% were not confident that they had a say in what the Government does.

Three-quarters believed it should put a higher priority on making sure businesses can thrive, while more than six in 10 wanted more done to address climate change.

Almost three in 10 were “not at all” confident that the country would reduce its greenhouse gas emissions within a decade.

Public services performed better, with more than twice as many people trusting the NHS than the government.

However, the government compared favourably against other OECD countries when it came to openness, fairness, and how it would respond to the spread of a serious contagious disease.

People are also more confident about participating in politics, with the vast majority taking part in at least one political activity in the past year.

In the 12 months to March, almost six in 10 voted in local elections and signed a petition.

Local government (42 per cent) saw higher trust scores than national government, although both came well below the civil service (55%).