Politicians are 'least trusted profession in the UK'

Andy Wells
·Freelance Writer
Updated
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, right, and opposition Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn, left, walk through the Commons Members Lobby in Parliament, London, Monday, Oct. 14, 2019. Britain's parliament returns from a brief break for the State Opening of Parliament. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, pool)
Voters' trust politicians least out of all professions, according to a poll (AP)

Politicians hoping to secure votes in the upcoming general election have one big problem - very few people actually trust them.

According to a new Ipsos MORI poll, politicians are now the least trusted of all professions in the UK, sitting bottom of the list with a net trust of -68%.

The survey comes on the day Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn accused Boris Johnson of misleading the public by denying claims the NHS was up for sale in trade talks with the United States.

Mr Corbyn claimed the Conservatives were negotiating a secret trade deal with the US to open up the NHS to American pharmaceutical companies.

Mr Corbyn said Labour had obtained uncensored Government documents showing talks were at a "very advanced stage”.

Mr Corbyn himself has been accused of misleading voters by claiming a Brexit deal would cost the NHS £500m a week, a figure Michael Gove described as “ridiculous nonsense”.

However, recent polls have shown that voters have little trust in either party leader.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn holds a redacted copy of the Department for International Trade's UK-US Trade and Investment Working Group report following a speech about the NHS, in Westminster, London.
Jeremy Corbyn today accused Boris Johnson of 'misleading' the public on the NHS (PA)

After being elected as Tory leader in July, a YouGov survey found that the public thought Mr Johnson was likeable but untrustworthy.

Some 58% of respondents felt that the Prime Minister was untrustworthy, compared to 20% who felt he could be trusted.

Read more from Yahoo News UK:

Election candidate wants to donate five-figure MP salary to charity

Jeremy Corbyn refuses to apologise four times for anti-Semitism allegations

Former Tory deputy PM urges voters to back Lib Dems

A YouGov poll also found that Mr Corbyn was trusted on Brexit by just 16% of people, while just one in seven trusting Parliament as a whole to deliver on the same issue.

The IPSOSMori poll shows that politicians are now trusted less than ad executives (62%), estate agents (-36%) and bankers (-11%).

Conversely, nurses are the most trusted (90%), slightly ahead of doctors (86%) and teachers (80%).

Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK