How Do Citizens Make Judgements on Political Trustworthiness? A New Model for Decision-Making in a Low-Trust Political Environment

According to the latest figures from the UK’s Electoral Commission (2024), more than two-thirds of British people regard Members of Parliament (MPs) as untrustworthy. Without political trust, it is harder for politicians to govern and less likely that the public will comply with policy measures. But what makes voters decide that MPs are so much less trustworthy than people in all other occupations? This paper presents the findings from a series of focus groups, in which a novel practical exercise provided a stimulus for discussion and enabled participants to verbalise their thought processes. Based on thematic analysis of the sessions, a new model for decision-making on trust in the context of a low-trust political environment is proposed. From the starting point that “they’re all tarred with the same brush”, participants took one of at least three different decision-making strategies: trusting only those which were not ‘typical’ politicians; focusing on competence; or consulting their own emotions. It is argued that examples of MP integrity and behaviour are often selected retrospectively to support these initial judgements. The implications for efforts to rebuild political trust are considered.