Two Britains

Our most recent research finds consistent differences between the outlook of UK public sector workers and that of the wider public – across a range of issues – and shows that reminders of controversial public-sector decisions linked to these differences reduces trust in government.

• Consistent attitudinal divergence. Public sector workers, on average, view Britain and Western countries less favourably than the wider public, and view both adversary countries and hostile extremist groups more favourably. These differences persist even after controlling for differences in age, gender, ethnicity, income and education.

• Variation within the public sector. Civil servants are closest to public opinion; teachers diverge more; and NHS workers diverge the most.

• Controversies – such as reports of ‘two-tier justice’ – sharply erode trust in government. Simply being reminded of these incidents pushed about one in six otherwise trusting citizens below the official threshold for moderate trust in government.