In 2006, Brits trusted their government far more so than in other major European states. Now the tables have turned.
ADVERTISEMENTPublic confidence in Britain's government has fallen in recent years, while rising elsewhere in Europe, according to a poll Gallup published on its blog today.
The US analytics company found that around one in three Brits say they have confidence in their leaders - the second lowest rate in the G7 group of rich nations.
At the same time, public confidence in the governments of Germany, France and Italy rose between 2006 and 2022.
When Gallup first measured national confidence around the world nearly two decades ago, Tony Blair's Labour government in Britain had one of the highest rates of trust in the G7 at 49%.
In 2022, confidence in the government collapsed, especially among Britons who approved of their country’s leadership (38%).
This is the lowest level of confidence in the world among people who approve of their leadership, says Gallup.
It is tied only with Lebanon, a crisis-stricken country that has experienced one of history's worst-ever depressions, according to the World Bank.
In Italy, public confidence jumped from 24% in 2006 to 41% in 2022, while in France a smaller increase from 32% to 46% was recorded by Gallup.
Under the steady leadership of Angela Merkel and now Olaf Scholz, Germany has the most trust in Europe, solidifying its position among the electorate from 32% to 61%.
The findings are a worrying sign for Britain's Conservative leadership, which faces re-election next year.
Gallup found that public confidence in the UK government "changed dramatically" in 2022 under the scandal-prone Boris Johnson.
Several major events under his tenure sent shockwaves through the country's political system, including Brexit, the “Partygate” scandal, involving drunken soirees at Downing Street during the COVID lockdowns, and frequent turnover of prime ministers.
It has had four PMs in as many years, since 2019.