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The latest British Social Attitudes Survey shows that the proportion of people who have little or no confidence that the government puts the needs of the country above domestic party interests has reached a record high.
The National Centre for Social Research, which carried out the survey, found a sharp rise in dissatisfaction with the way the country is governed among those who voted to leave the EU.
The report said the lasting impact of Brexit and the increased prominence of issues around culture and identity had created new “fractures” in British politics.
The proportion of Leave voters who say they have little trust in the government to prioritise the needs of the country has risen from 25% in 2020 to 48% in the latest survey.
Professor John Curtice, a senior research fellow at National Sen and an expert on opinion polling, said: “It is often said that with Brexit no longer at the centre of the political agenda, the battle for votes has reverted to simply being between left and right.”
“But the terrain in which parties are contesting is now a two-dimensional space in which issues of culture and identity, including Brexit, are as important as the left-right divide.”
The annual survey found that 45% of respondents said they “very little” think that governments of any party are focusing enough on the challenges facing the UK, up from the previous high of 40% recorded in 2009 after the MPs’ expenses scandal.
Additionally, the number of people who said they “very little trust” politicians of any party to “tell the truth when the going gets tough” reached a record high of 58%, up 19 points from 2020.
The survey found that 79% believe the UK’s system of governance could be improved “a lot” or “a lot”.
This corresponds to the previous high recorded during the political impasse over Brexit in 2019 and represents an 18 percentage point increase from 2020.
Professor Curtis said the findings showed the next administration “needs to address the concerns of a public that is more skeptical than ever about the reliability and effectiveness of the country’s political system”.
NatCen concluded that policy failures have also eroded trust in government, with problems in the NHS and the cost of living crisis contributing to the lack of trust.
Some 86% of people who are dissatisfied with the NHS said the government’s system needs significant improvements.
Nearly three-quarters (72%) of those who struggle to make ends meet say they have little trust in politicians to tell the truth, while 49% of those who are “comfortable” share the same view.
There is also evidence that support for devolution is growing.
For the first time in England, fewer than half of people support the current parliamentary system rather than an independent English Parliament or the introduction of a local government model.
The survey revealed deep divisions among voters on identity issues, which now stand alongside the traditional debate between left and right over the economy and inequality.
The researchers said this new “duality” is likely to be a key factor in how people vote in the July 4 general election.
The survey consisted of 5,578 interviews with a representative random sample of adults and was conducted between September 12 and October 31, 2023.