For the past ten editions of the Edelman Trust Barometer, UK's Trust in Business and Trust in Government has remained quite stable and, for the most part, in line with prevailing global trends.
This mid-year report, however – specially commissioned by Edelman given the unique circumstances of our times – marks a significant shift away from the norm. Britain has hardened from a nation of sceptics to a nation of cynics.
For the media-informed publics surveyed for the Trust Barometer, there are no green shoots of Trust recovery. If anything, the shoots are brown, albeit with a small 'B'.
The full report – and the key data – can be found on our global site.
If you do not get the chance to read the Mid-Year Barometer in full, or would like a quick summary of the UK news, headline findings for the UK include:
- 49% think the country is heading in the wrong direction
- Only 11% believe that global business has a good reputation
- 44% don't expect economic recovery to happen before 2011 at the earliest; 50% think it will take until 2011 or later for business to be trusted again
- Britons believe that a CEO's business decisions should consider the interests of employees, customers and communities before those of shareholders or government
If you'd like a bit more detail, there are more findings here.
The Edelman UK team were especially interested in certain issues, given the recent parliamentary expenses scandal and the likely surrounding collateral damage to the 'traditional' institutions of authority. Supplementary research was commissioned (over 1,000 adults) to consider further some of the nuances in the UK Trust data. Headline findings here tell us:
- 71% don't trust Gordon Brown and 65% trust him less than six months ago
- 69% trust Government less than six months ago
- There is a strong link between trust/distrust in Government, Gordon Brown and MPs in general
- Three quarters don't trust financial institutions who have taken bail-out money to use tax-payers' money responsibly
More findings can be found here.
Robert Phillips – CEO, Edelman