Public Attitudes to Politics, Politicians and Parliament

Following the 61% turnout in the May 2005 general election, which was barely an improvement on the historic low recorded in 2001, the apparent ‘crisis of democracy’ continues to give rise to concern among politicians and all those individuals and groups working to increase public participation in politics.1 The Hansard Society is one such organisation and has for some time been conducting research into the state of political participation in Britain. In March 2005, the Society published its second annual Audit of Political Engagement, conducted in conjunction with The Electoral Commission, which found alarmingly low levels of political engagement among the public: it revealed that the majority of the UK public (54%) feel they know little or nothing about politics; that barely a majority find it of interest (53%); and only a small minority are politically active (16%)