We know that government isn’t working – and that it doesn’t really matter which party is in office

By Tim Knox

EGF Editor

Recent polling from Savanta – here – shows that most people in the UK realise that government is not working and that public services are poor:

•       Only 21% trust national politicians to keep the promises they make and only 22% trust them to tell the truth.

•       63% believe that taxpayers do not get good value for money from the public services.

•       47% are not confident that national politicians are able to meet the challenges that face the UK. Only 21% are confident that they can.

People also recognise that giving more control to their local communities would work for them:

•       62% want more power devolved to a local level, away from Westminster. Only 10% disagree.

•       56% want a greater proportion of their taxes raised by and for their local community instead of by central government. Only 14% disagree.

•       63% want elements of health and social care to be devolved to a more local level. Only 11% disagree.

This level of disillusion with government means that most people think it doesn’t matter who is in power:

•       58% think that the management of public services such as schools and hospitals does not improve regardless of which party is in power.

The above findings come from a Savanta poll of 2,275 UK adults aged 18+ online between 31 March and 2 April 2023. Data were weighed to be representative of the UK by age, sex, region and social grad