UK Politics

Following high-profile rows over the amount of time the likes of Reform leader Nigel Farage and ex-cabinet minister Nadine Dorries spent in the Commons or their seat, an overwhelming majority (77 per cent) of voters backed a minimum attendance rule for MPs.

The Savanta/38 Degrees survey, shared exclusively with [I], suggested just 6 per cent of the public would oppose such a move.

The poll also saw voters backing a series of reforms to improve MPs’ conduct after years of sleaze scandals, including banning MPs for deliberately lying in public (79 per cent), introducing a job description (77 per cent), banning MPs from betting on political outcomes (77 per cent), tightening restrictions on gifts (75 per cent), and banning specific second jobs (70 per cent).

But despite Sir Keir Starmer’s pledges to clean up politics and rebuild trust, more voters are more pessimistic (38 per cent) than optimistic (35 per cent) the Government will improve standards for MPs.

The lack of belief in the Prime Minister’s commitments come after a string of cronyism allegations levelled at Labour over the filling of Whitehall jobs since the election.

The lack of trust was also illustrated by the fact nearly two thirds (65 per cent) of voters believe that in the current political system, MPs who behave unethically are likely to get away with it.

This sentiment cuts across party lines, with 74 per cent of 2024 Reform UK voters, 61 per cent of Conservative voters, and 62 per cent of Labour voters expressing the same concern.