Trust in the public service in Britain has slumped to an all time low. This is the conclusion drawn from a report, “Planning for Social Change 1997″, published by the Henley Centre, the forecasting organisation. The annual survey of 2000 consumers in the UK shows that the percentage of people who have ‘ a great deal’ or ‘quite a lot’ of confidence in the civil service, local councils and the police has gone down steeply. This contrasts sharply with the finding that four in five people trust food manufacturers such as Heinz and Kelloggs to be honest and fair. The findings are causing concern because the success of public organisations depends as much on public support as on being effective and efficient.The survey shows that trust and faith in the civil service is at 14%, down from 48%, in the police 58%, down from 83% and in local councils 24%. There is broad support for the figures from other sources. A Mori poll conducted in April found that only 25% of people expected civil servants to tell the truth, while the figure for the police was 62%. Figures published earlier this month by the Home Office show an 11% rise in the number of substantiated complaints compared to the previous year. A Mori poll for the Local Government Association in February found that only 53% of people were satisfied with the way councils are doing their job.

Read more on Trust in public service at all time low…