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Over two thirds of Britons do not have confidence that the government is running the country with competence or integrity, Ipsos poll reveals

Over two thirds of Britons do not have confidence that the UK Government is running the country with integrity (68%), nor that they are running it properly, competently or seriously (69%).

New data from Ipsos in the UK’s Political Pulse survey, taken February 6th-10th (in the midst of revelations about former US Ambassador Peter Mandelson and the resignation of Keir Starmer’s former Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney) reveals that half (53%) of Britons believe that Keir Starmer tells the truth not very often/never. However, a similar proportion (50%) believe the same about Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and MPs in general (49%).  

Trust in politicians 

  • Over two thirds of Britons do not have confidence that the UK Government is running the country with integrity (68%), nor that they are running it properly, competently or seriously (69%). This is up from 63% each in September 2025.
  • Half of Britons think that both Nigel Farage (50%) and Keir Starmer (53%) tell the truth not very often or never.
  • Keir Starmer’s ratings are in line with previous Conservative Prime Ministers. 47% thought Rishi Sunak told the truth not very often/never in August 2023, while six in ten (60%) thought the same of Boris Johnson in February 2023.
  • 47% think that Government Ministers tell the truth not very often/never. Three in ten (30%) say the same of their local MP, while half (49%) say the same of MPs in general. 

Best PM 

  • Britons continue to be split on who they would prefer to win the next UK General Election, when given the choice between just a Labour government led by Keir Starmer and Reform UK led by Nigel Farage. 37% prefer Labour, while 39% prefer Reform UK.
  • Andy Burnham continues to be only politician on our list preferred to Keir Starmer as Prime Minister, with 16% preferring Starmer and 30% preferring Burnham (+14). This is up from a 7 ppt Burnham lead last month.
  • Starmer is tied with Farage (32% each) and Badenoch (27% each).
  • Starmer holds a 9 ppt lead over Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, and a 5 ppt lead over Green Party leader Zack Polanski. 

Favourability towards politicians

  • Party leaders:
    • Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has a net favourability of -17, up from -26 last month. 31% of Britons view him favourably and 48% unfavourably.
    • Prime Minister Keir Starmer's net favourability stands at -44, down slightly from – 42 last month (17% favourable, 61% unfavourable).
    • 21% hold a favourable view of Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, while 31% are unfavourable, giving him a net score of -10 (up slightly from -13 from last month).
    • A quarter (24%) are favourable towards Green Party leader Zack Polanski, while 32% are unfavourable (net -8, up from -15 last month).
  • Labour figures: In terms of Labour figures who have been speculated as potential successors to Keir Starmer,
    • Three in ten (30%) are favourable towards Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, with 24% unfavourable (net +6).
    • 18% are favourable towards Health Secretary Wes Streeting, with 39% unfavourable (net -21).
    • 18% are favourable towards Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Milliband, with 46% unfavourable (net -28).
    • 18% are favourable towards Former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, with half (51%) unfavourable (net -33).
    • 12% are favourable towards Deputy Prime Minister Lucy Powell, with 33% unfavourable (net -21).
  • Donald Trump: 16% are favourable towards US president Donald Trump, while two thirds (67%) are unfavourable (net -51). 

Favourability towards political parties

  • Two in ten (20%) are favourable towards the Labour party, with 56% unfavourable (net -36, N/C from last month).
  • Reform UK has a net rating of -15, up from -24 last month. Three in ten (32%) hold a favourable view of the party, with 47% unfavourable.
  • 22% express a favourable view of the Conservative party, with half (50%) unfavourable (net -28, up from -34 last month).
  • The Green Party’s net rating is -9 (N/C last month. 28% are favourable towards the party, while 37% are unfavourable.
  • The Liberal Democrats are at -14. 24% express a favourable view and 38% unfavourable.
  • 11% are favourable towards Your Party, while 53% are unfavourable (net -42). 

Keiran Pedley, Director of UK Politics at Ipsos said: 

Ipsos polling shows public scepticism of the Labour government’s ability to run the country competently and with integrity is at similar low levels to the past Rishi Sunak government it defeated. Addressing this will be key to any successful reset Keir Starmer will attempt. Though, in truth, trust in politics is in short supply across the political spectrum. With different politicians on our list only trusted to tell the truth at least most of the time by around one in four.

Notes to Editors:

  • Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 1,119 adults aged 18+ across Great Britain. Interviews were conducted online between the 6th-10th February 2025.
  • Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.   

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