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Other potential factor - said for a while now the public most seem to like politicians who look like they enjoy the job (Rayner, Burnham, Johnson etc). Farage has always looked like he loved campaigning, but clips cutting through recently are those of him looking grumpy/snappy with journalists.

Opinium matching our finding this week of Farage on his lowest approval this parliament. From qual the Trump effect is making that second 15% have doubts about if a Reform led Britain would be the same. If locals are v.good won’t matter short term, but points to long term Trump challenge for Reform

Thank you!

🧪 We have a major new report out today with @wellcometrust.bsky.social on trust in science. While we find that the UK has so far avoided the polarisation of science we see elsewhere and science is a source of optimism. There are signs the public’s trust is becoming lukewarm & conditional.

Britain Talks Trust in Science Commissioned by The Wellcome Trust Trust in science has long been one of the UK’s quiet strengths: a stable foundation beneath political cycles, economic shifts, and moments of national crisis. At fir...

You can read the full report with many more findings and recommendations for improving trust in science on our website!

In general people want scientists to prioritise clear advice, but those that trust science less are more likely to value understanding uncertainty a little more.

Beyond scientists themselves most people say they trust their family and friends and members of the public with personal experience most to provide accurate information about science. Most don’t trust influencers, though some more online segments are more likely to trust influencers they follow.

Most of the segments tend to hear about science and scientific discoveries from the TV, that spans most segments - social media is the second most popular news source. Though some complained there was simply too much information to know what was and wasn’t true.

However in a country that Britons are most likely to describe as ‘broken’ science emerges as one of few areas of real optimism for the future. In fact those who trust science are significantly more likely than average to say their children’s generation will have a better life than their parents.

Our survey of scientists found that scientists are more likely than average to belong to the two more left leaning segments than the public as a whole. This may have implications for how they think about communicating and building trust with more right leaning groups.

Transparency is important when it comes to who funds science. Under half of brits are confident scientists are independent and not shaped by the interests of their funders, meanwhile progressive activists, sceptical scrollers and dissenting Disruptors are more worried about profit motives in science

Expertise is clearly a major driver of trust but we found that other elements matter too, particularly transparency, benevolence, competence and shared values with the public.

The public broadly have positive views of scientists and admire the dedication and expertise it requires to become a top scientist. Though they tend to think scientists are posh and speak in a different voice to the public as a whole.

Dissenting Disruptors on the other hand, the group most likely to think that Covid curtailed their freedoms unnecessarily and that the pandemic was politicised have a much lower impression of Covid scientists compared to scientists in general.

What’s interesting is the pandemic had different impacts in shaping views of scientists across the pandemic, Rooted Patriots, who best reflect the average Red Wall voter and who have a higher threat perception tended to view scientists who worked on the pandemic v. positively.

Most Britons felt the Covid-19 response was driven by science rather than politics - particularly the Established Liberal segments. The only segment more likely to say it was driven more by politics are the Dissenting Disruptors.

Most do not think that science has a political bias, around 1 in 20 think it leans right, just over 1 in 10 think it leans left, however a third of Reform supporters think that science has a left-wing bias. Similarly most don’t think science has become ‘woke’ but around 1 in 5 do.

Among those who have lost trust in science two drivers jump out, first the sense that science has become too associated with politics, secondly the Covid-19 pandemic and vaccine roll out - mirroring the warning from yesterday’s Covid inquiry report about the need to rebuild trust.

Across all of our seven segments people are more likely to trust science than not. Though compared to previous surveys people are more likely to say they have ‘some’ trust rather than a lot of trust. Our sceptical scroller and Dissenting Disruptors segments have the lowest trust.

🧪 We have a major new report out today with @wellcometrust.bsky.social on trust in science. While we find that the UK has so far avoided the polarisation of science we see elsewhere and science is a source of optimism. There are signs the public’s trust is becoming lukewarm & conditional.

Schroedingers Strait of Hormuz

26 minutes of good news.

Can you build a British voter? See how the electorate is changing

Really cool use of some of our data by @economist.com in their “build a voter tool” looking at the likelihood of voting for different parties based on demographics - such an interesting insight into quite how fragmented - almost personalised our politics has become. www.economist.com/interactive/...

Good idea!

Is the "Broken Social Contract" Fuelling Reform UK and Greens Support?

Our brand new podcast the Opinion Brief is out! We discuss
- The state of the polls & have Reform plateaued
- Are Green voters still green
- Why many think the social contract is broken
- Do Brits back social media bans

Take a listen & let us know what you think

open.spotify.com/episode/4bw3...

Is the "Broken Social Contract" Fuelling Reform UK and Greens Support?

Our brand new podcast the Opinion Brief is out! We discuss
- The state of the polls & have Reform plateaued
- Are Green voters still green
- Why many think the social contract is broken
- Do Brits back social media bans

Take a listen & let us know what you think

open.spotify.com/episode/4bw3...

She has been for about it 5 weeks. We had a green bounce post Gorton

At the same time all the big five leader approvals are down. Farage hits his lowest since the General Election on -20, though still well above Starmer on -43. Badenoch is -13, Davey -14 and Polanski at a personal low of -19.