Public Trust in Government Collapses to Record Low as Demand for Electoral Reform Surges

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The National Centre for Social Research has today published findings that should give pause to anyone concerned with the health of British democracy. Their latest British Social Attitudes survey, based on responses from over 3,000 UK adults, reveals a political system struggling to maintain public confidence and legitimacy in an era of fragmented voting and declining institutional trust.

The data presents a stark picture with just 12% of respondents saying they trust the Government to put national interest before party interest “just about always” or “most of the time”. That’s the lowest figure recorded in the survey’s history. This represents not merely dissatisfaction with particular policies or politicians, but a fundamental erosion of faith in the democratic process.

When nine out of ten citizens believe their Government prioritises partisan advantage over national welfare, it’s clear we have a crisis of legitimacy that transcends normal political discourse.

This collapse in trust coincides with electoral outcomes that raise serious questions about democratic representation.

Labour‘s victory last year came with just 33.7% of the popular vote, the lowest share ever recorded for a majority Government in British history. The Conservative Party managed only 23.7%, meaning that together, our two traditionally dominant parties secured the support of barely half the electorate.

Such results would be unremarkable in a proportional system designed to encourage coalition-building and compromise. But under first-past-the-post they produce Governments with overwhelming parliamentary power based on minority public support, a sure-fire recipe for more public distrust.

Today’s report shows that the public has noticed this disconnect. A record 60% of respondents now favour replacing the current electoral system with one that gives smaller parties fairer representation in parliament.

This sentiment crosses traditional party lines, with a majority of Conservative supporters backing electoral reform for the first time in the survey’s history. The appetite for change is no longer confined to traditional advocates of proportional representation but has become a mainstream concern spanning the political spectrum.

The consequences of continued inaction are predictable. Countries with low institutional trust and weak democratic legitimacy typically experience declining civic engagement, increasing political volatility, and growing susceptibility to authoritarian government.

While Britain isn’t there quite yet, the trajectory is concerning enough to warrant urgent attention from policymakers across party lines.

The report underscores the importance of the work currently being done by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Fair Elections inside parliament and by Open Britain, Make Votes Matter and others in the democracy sector outside.

At the core of that work, are three key objectives: replacing first-past-the-post with a proportional voting system, eliminating ‘dark money’ from politics, and combating disinformation in public debate. These three reforms would go a long way towards revitalising our democracy and rebuilding public trust in politics.

The path forward requires both political courage and institutional innovation. The APPG for Fair Elections has proposed establishing a National Commission on Electoral Reform – an independent body tasked with examining alternative voting systems and reporting within twelve months.

Such a commission would facilitate an informed national debate on the problems caused by the current system and the potential benefits offered by alternative ones, and recommend a way forward.

While in opposition, the Labour Party formally recognised first-past-the-post as a contributor to democratic disillusionment. And when Keir Starmer became Prime Minister, he acknowledged that restoring public trust is a key objective for his Government.

But, to date, his approach has been to rebuild that trust by demonstrating administrative competence (delivering improvements in the cost of living, increasing the performance of the NHS, reducing delays in the planning system, etc). That’s not going to work.

The scale of the current crisis requires a much more direct intervention in the democratic system. It requires structural changes that give citizens meaningful influence over political outcomes and ensures that electoral results reflect genuine popular preferences.

The choice facing Britain is whether to address these democratic deficits now, in a careful and controlled way, or risk having to find a solution in the midst of chaos and confusion at the 2029 General Election.

The evidence for reform continues to accumulate, public support continues to grow, and organised advocacy continues to build momentum.

What remains uncertain is whether Starmer will respond to these signals before democratic legitimacy erodes beyond easy repair.