When the trust has gone
The question posed by Ipsos was “”Now I will read you a list of different types of people. For each one you tell me if you general’y trust them to tell the truth, or not?” The results were damning for politicians. Only 12% of those asked trust a politician to tell you the truth.
Some might say it is a small survey and anyway 12% is really a comparison with other more trusted professions. The thinking being if people have said they trust nurses, in comparison they will say they do not trust politicians. But the fact is that when I talk to people about the local elections it is one of the most common responses. Even where people tell me they like a particular politician, they have a tendency to see the system corrupted by liars.
For those with eyesight as poor as mine the top five trusted professions are:
| Profession | Trust Level |
|---|---|
| Nurses | 89% |
| Engineers | 87% |
| Doctors | 85% |
| Scientists | 83% |
| Teachers | 81% |
The least trusted professions are:
| Profession | Trust Level |
|---|---|
| Politicians Generally | 12% |
| Advertising Executives | 14% |
| Government Ministers | 16% |
| Estate Agents | 28% |
| Journalists | 29% |