MPs Pick Industry Bogeymen

New findings from BPRI's panel of UK MPs shed light on the House's views of particular professions and sectors of industry. According to 'MPs & Industry: Knowledge, Communications and Trust', the financial services industry is one of the least trusted, on a par with nuclear power and just above tobacco, bottom of the league with 75% of MPs not trusting it.

There is cross-party agreement on this: one Conservative MP for example said sector had had 'too many incidents of mis-selling and giving poor advice', while a Labour MP spoke of 'obscene salaries and commissions at the client's expense'.

Public Affairs companies are also among the least trusted groups, viewed on a par with builders and journalists and slightly ahead of estate agents. The retail sector comes out on top, seen as the most innovative sector in the UK and having a good employment record, working in the community. The professions trusted the most were teachers, the police, doctors and - rather surprisingly - MPs themselves... presumably not those from other parties.

BPRI Chairman Jonathan Shingleton says the financial services sector is 'in danger. It faces an uphill struggle to regain trust among MPs and other stakeholders'. He notes that it is falling behind more controversial and 'unpopular' sectors such as defence, oil & gas, chemical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology. Shingleton says public affairs companies will be very concerned by their own rating, which calls into question their ability to do their job providing advice on public affairs, government legislation and how to communicate with parliamentarians. Almost 60% of MPs do not trust public affairs companies.

BPRI, a research led consulting practice and part of Kantar within the WPP Group, interviewed 100 MPs during May and June 2004 - the 100 are a representative sample of the composition of the House and part of the BPRI Political Opinion Panel. The company's web site is at www.bprigroup.com

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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