Lack of trust in politics main reason people won't vote

Lack of trust in politics main reason people won't vote in next UK general election: latest polling

• Low trust in politics was the top reason given by those polled who said they were not going to vote in the next election
• 78% of GB adults said they didn't trust MPs to tell the truth
• Nearly a quarter (24%) said they would like the House of Lords replaced with a rolling citizens’ assembly
• Nearly 60% of British adults said they would trust members of a citizens’ assembly to make policy decisions in their best interests
• Nearly five times as many (57%) British adults trust members of a citizens’ assembly to make policy decisions in their best interests than trust MPs to do so (12%)

More than half (52%) of GB adults stating that they would not vote in the next General Election in a newly published YouGov poll cited “a lack of trust in politics generally” as their key reason.

The results build on previous polls showing plummeting trust levels among the electorate and reveal the connection between lack of trust and likelihood to vote. The polling was carried out for the Trust and Citizens report, published today June 3 by the Sortition Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation delivering citizens assemblies globally. The report launches the 858 campaign to replace the House of Lords with a rolling citizens’ assembly or House of Citizens. 

Sortition Foundation Director James Robertson said:

‘Rock-bottom trust levels will deter people from voting in the next election. The good news is that British people trust each other nearly five times more than their MPs to make decisions in their best interests. Citizens’ assemblies are a key way we can restore trust in our political system.’

The polling, which was carried out two years running, shows that replacing the House of Lords with a rolling citizens’ assembly is the most popular option for House of Lords reform (24%), over and above other options including: replacing it with an elected chamber (18%) abolishing it completely (14%) removing hereditary peers (11%) and replacing it with regional representatives (5%).

Robertson said: 

‘Politicians make all kinds of promises at election time, but when they’re held to account by their cronies in the Lords, faith in them to deliver will remain low. A House of Citizens, selected like a jury, would ensure politicians keep their word and deliver for ordinary people.’

ENDS

For media enquiries please contact [email protected] 

Spokespeople are available for interview.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

• A citizen’s assembly is a group of people, selected to be representative of the UK population, who are brought together to hear evidence, discuss an issue and reach an informed conclusion. 
• The report launches the 858 campaign, a campaign to embed deliberative democracy, including replacing the House of Lords with a House of Citizens: www.858.org.uk
• Detailed 2024 YouGov results 
• 2023’s YouGov results 
• All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,082 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 13th - 14th May 2024. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).
• More information on the results:
• 8% of Leave voters in 2016 said they’d be certain not to vote
• 15% of under 25s said they’d be certain not to vote
• 15% of C2DEs said they’d be certain not to vote
• 15% of those from the North of England said they’d be certain not to vote
• 14% of those from the Midlands said they’d be certain not to vote