Politics remote to most in England, reveals research- Devolution an opportunity to restore trust, says Carnegie UK

Most people in England don’t feel like they can influence local politics, new research has found. The paper from Carnegie UK argues that proposed devolution reforms can help to solve this problem but only if they lead to changes in how officials and politicians work with local people.

Carnegie’s Life in the UK Index examines social, economic, environmental and democratic aspects of the wellbeing of the country. Their paper for England – based on an Ipsos survey of 4418 people in 2024 – warns of very low levels of trust in politics and government.

The survey found over half of people (55%) in England feel that they are unable to influence decisions at a local level, while over a quarter (27%) have low levels of trust in councils. This compares to 72 per cent of people in England who feel they can’t influence decisions at a UK-wide level and 52 per cent who have low levels of trust in the UK Government.

Public policy foundation Carnegie UK argues that repairing democracy – a mission absent from the UK Government’s policy ambitions – should be at the centre of plans for further devolution in England. Their report argues that increased use of approaches which involve the public – such as citizen panels and juries – as part of devolution deals could help to restore trust at both a local and national level.

In December 2024, Ministers published a White Paper outlining reforms to local government structures and funding in England.

Sarah Davidson, chief executive of Carnegie UK, said: “These statistics show too many people in England feel remote from politics and government.

“While many would recognise that Westminster politics can feel distant to everyday life, it is more surprising to see that local government also feels remote to most. However, the Government’s devolution proposals for England provide an opportunity to rethink not just where but how decisions are made.

“By meaningfully involving local people in decision-making, we could help to restore trust in our political systems. Changes in how the business of government is conducted also offer mayors, councillors and MPs new tools to navigate difficult and divisive issues.”

The Carnegie UK research also shows a significant number of people in England feel their neighbourhood is unsafe after dark (31%) or face local issues with litter (84%) or noise (64%).

Concerningly, around four in ten people living in England (44%) said they had experienced discrimination in the last year, a three-percentage point increase from 2023, while over a quarter (28%) say they can’t afford an unexpected expense of £850.

The report argues that devolution plans should help local bodies improve all aspects of people’s lives, rather than focus narrowly on economic growth. In late February, the National Audit Office warned in a new report that when people access local government services in England their needs are not being well met

Sarah Davidson said: “The government’s devolution proposals have been pitched as a way to boost local growth. While a thriving economy is important, our data shows that many communities face problems that won’t necessarily be solved by growth alone.

“The devolution agenda represents a chance for new institutions to do things differently. There’s an opportunity for them to measure what matters to local people and deliver systematic improvements, learning from domestic and international examples of innovative approaches to government.”

Jessica Studdert, chief executive of New Local – a think tank and network of councils, said: “This report provides rich and nuanced insight about social, economic, environmental and democratic wellbeing across England. These findings are an invaluable resource for national policymakers and local government highlighting where action is most needed to improve collective wellbeing.

“With plans to extend devolution gathering pace, this is a critical moment to create the conditions to further enable strategic authorities, local government, place-based partners and communities to innovatively work together to improve wellbeing.”

The research concludes that the wellbeing of the people of England did not improve between 2023 and 2024, in common with the rest of the UK.

Contact

Stuart Mackinnon: [email protected]