Trust, public engagement and UK Parliament

DOI: https://doi.org/10.58248/PB66 

• Political trust refers to people’s positive expectations that a political institution, system, or actor will do what they have said they will do or will act in the public interest.
• Evidence has shown declining trust levels in public institutions in the UK and around the world. Between 2014 and 2024, the British Election Study showed that the proportion of people with low to no trust in MPs rose from 54% to 76%.
• Political trust may operate as a ‘reservoir’ of support for democratic institutions and functions during times of crisis. Decreasing levels of trust may have implications for democratic systems and for Parliament, such as reduced political participation.
• Trust levels may be affected by a range of factors, including demographic, economic and political factors.
• Engaging with the public has become an important function of parliaments and other political institutions. Engagement can take diverse forms and methods, such as Climate Assembly UK in 2020.
• Research suggests that well-delivered public engagement may improve public trust in Parliament and enhance decision-making.
• Key elements of effective engagement identified in the literature include: transparency, inclusive participation, open dialogue, timely involvement, accessible information, feedback loops and links between engagement and decision-making. These principles help build legitimacy and trust.
• However, ineffective public engagement risks eroding trust. Risks include a lack of impact or feedback, poor communication, exclusion of diverse voices, tokenism and inaccessibility. These issues can lead to public disengagement.
• it is important to note that there is a limited evidence base on the impact of public engagement methods on trust levels, although more case studies are emerging. Stakeholders have called for more research and evaluation of engagement activities.
• Trust in other institutions is explored in other briefings, including Trust in the police (POSTnote 693) and Trust in news providers (POSTnote 727). POST has also published a horizon scan article on Democratic engagement and trust in parliament.