The “Damaged Politics” report from the British Social Attitudes (BSA) 41 survey, conducted by NatCen Social Research, highlights a significant decline in trust in government and political institutions, underscoring widespread disillusionment among the public.

The BSA survey, established in 1983, is a reputable source of data on public attitudes in Britain. The 41st edition of the survey, conducted in 2023, captures the sentiments of a population grappling with political scandals, economic uncertainties, and social changes. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the public’s trust in government, their perceptions of political efficacy, and their views on representation and participation.

Decline in Trust

• General Trust in Government: Trust in government has reached historically low levels. 45% of respondents would ‘almost never’ trust British governments of any party to place the needs of the nation above the interests of their own political party, more than ever before. Only 14% of respondents expressed trust in the government to put the nation’s interest ahead of their own.
• System of Governance: The aspiration for a changed system of government has also risen considerably. 79% believe the present system of governing Britian could be improved ‘quite a lot’ or ‘a great deal’, matching the previous record low in 2019 during the parliamentary stalemate about Brexit. This compares to values mostly in the lower 60s for the past decade.
• Politicians and the truth: Even though people generally appear to be more likely to believe politicians lie when in a tight corner than to tell the truth, the report states that most recently 58% would ‘almost never’ trust politicians of any party in Britain to tell the truth when they are in a tight corner. This is up from 41% in 2021.

Financial Struggles and dissatisfaction with the NHS

Levels of trust are impacted by challenges people are currently facing and have been facing in their lives over the past few years, including levels of happiness with the National Health Service as well as impacts of the cost-of-living crisis.

• Financial struggles: 72% of those who are struggling financially ‘almost never’ trust politicians, compared with 49% of those living comfortably. (Read more about the Trust and Income Gap.)
• Dissatisfaction with the NHS: 86% of those who are dissatisfied with the NHS believe the system of governing Britain needs considerable improvement, compared with 65% of those who are satisfied

Implications

• Electoral Reform: Those with lower levels of trust and confidence are more likely to support changing the electoral system. Support for changing the system is as high as 62% among those who ‘almost never’ trust governments.
• Political Engagement: Even though often concern is expressed that low trust reduces public engagement with the political system, the low levels of trust identified in this survey do not necessarily point to the prospect of a low voter turnout at the next general election.

The “Damaged Politics” report paints a concerning picture of the current state of political trust in the UK. The findings suggest a deep-seated disillusionment with political institutions and processes. Addressing these issues requires concerted efforts to rebuild trust, enhance transparency, and ensure that political representatives are more in tune with the electorate’s needs and concerns.

Background

The research is based on repeated British Social Attitudes surveys of the past years, including the latest round of surveys in 2023. To paint a broader picture of long-term trends, authors also use data from the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) module on citizenship and national identity.

British Social Attitudes is the longest-running study of public attitudes in Britain. Since 1983 this highly respected study has been tracking the views and opinions of the public on the big issues facing the nation. It’s the only survey of its kind.