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Trust in Government Statistics Falls
The UK public's confidence in official statistics has dropped in recent years, according to a new MORI study. To restore trust, MORI recommends an independent national statistics service, along with greater transparency and explanation about official information.
The report, Who do you believe? Trust in government information, draws on the findings of five discussion groups, along with a review of decades of survey data. It states that, while politicians are just as distrusted now as they always have been, there has been a decline in public trust of government information.
The report emphasises the public's suspicions that official information is always 'spun'. It recommends the establishment of an independent statistics service as well as an auditing body to vet how official statistics are used. Comparisons are drawn with the US FactCheck organisation, which ran throughout the last presidential campaign.
Other recommendations include more innovative forms of communication by the government, including use of lesser known figures - rather than Ministers - to impart information. It also calls for greater transparency, saying 'there is a real appetite from the general public to understand how and why official figures have been collated and disseminated'.
MORI Research Director Bobby Duffy says the report 'highlights how difficult it now is to get people to believe government information'. He adds: 'We need a big gesture from the government to emphasise their commitment to rebuilding trust'.
MORI's web site is at www.mori.com.
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