A report by Sir John Curtice, an electoral expert, has found that trust and confidence in the UK’s politics and election system has reached an all-time low. The report, entitled “Damaged Politics” and conducted for the National Centre for Social Research, reveals that record numbers of voters have lost trust in the government’s ability to prioritise country over party. It also highlights that people have no faith in politicians telling the truth in difficult circumstances. The report suggests that disillusionment over Brexit among leave voters is one of the primary reasons behind the collapse in trust.
The cost-of-living crisis and political scandal are also contributing factors affecting people’s disenchantment with the state of government and politics in the UK. The report indicates that those struggling financially are more likely to have negative views concerning Britain’s governance. With 45% of voters now saying they “almost never” trust the government to put country before party, and 58% also saying they “almost never” trust politicians to tell the truth in difficult circumstances, it is clear that the UK’s system of governance needs to improve tremendously. Additionally, 79% of voters agree that Britain’s system of governance needs to be “improved quite a lot” or “a great deal”.
The report’s findings also highlight that the first-past-the-post electoral system in the UK is under scrutiny, with 53% of voters agreeing that they would prefer a voting system that would be fairer to smaller parties. The report also found that 49% of voters in England are in favour of more devolution to regional authorities.
The BBC’s ‘Your Voice Your Vote’ campaign has received a large number of comments regarding voter confidence in politics and politicians. One Hull resident believes politicians need to stop treating voters like idiots. Meanwhile, voters from Bristol and Kent expressed concern over the fact that political parties don’t do what they promise after they have been voted in. Furthermore, many voters think all the parties are the same.
The report concludes that whoever wins the election will face a significant challenge in restoring trust in politics and the government at large. In the words of Sir John Curtice, the new administration must adopt “a style and manner of governing that persuades people that the government has their interests at heart after all”.
The findings of the report are sobering, illustrating that the UK’s government and political system need to undergo significant reform to restore trust and confidence in the electorate. It remains to be seen if whoever forms the new government will take on these challenges or if they will continue with business as usual
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