How does the public understand government?

Public trust in government is declining in several developed democracies, and the UK is no exception. This paper aims to understand better what shapes public opinion about government in England, and what that means for policy makers at national, regional and local level. 

We found a concerning ‘perception gap’ among voters – where individuals’ largely positive reported experiences of government do not carry through to greater overall trust in it. This disparity between experience and trust has important implications for any politicians and policy makers seeking to rebuild trust with a skeptical public.

This is particularly important for the current Labour government. As the UK makes further steps towards devolution of power from Westminster and Whitehall it is vital that policy makers and the wider policy community understand the relationship between devolution and public trust in government. 

The research involved a quantitative survey of 5,002 adults in England in August 2026 and focus groups in the North East and East of England conducted by More in Common and interviews with mayors and their teams in the English regions. Full data can be found as a supporting doc on this page (PDF).