Rich still trust the system—poor don’t: Stark class divide as Britain’s trust crisis deepens
New figures reveal collapsing faith in government, media and business as millions feel ignored, exploited and left behind
Trust in Britain’s institutions has sunk to alarming levels, and a new global survey suggests ordinary people have simply had enough of being talked down to, sold out and left behind.
According to the 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer, the UK now ranks among the least trusting nations in the developed world, with an overall Trust Index score of just 44 out of 100, placing it firmly in “distrust” territory and below the average for developed countries.
That figure represents average trust in government, business, the media and NGOs—the very institutions that claim to act in the public interest. In reality, many Britons clearly feel those at the top have been serving themselves instead.
The divide between rich and poor
The divide between rich and poor is especially stark. Among Britain’s lowest-income households, trust collapses to just 38, while the wealthiest quartile records a far healthier 57. In other words, the people struggling most with soaring bills, insecure work and crumbling public services are the very people who trust the system least.
Hardly surprising, when so many feel the rules are rigged.
Nowhere is that sense of betrayal clearer than on the future facing younger generations. Only 14 per cent Britons believe the next generation will be better off than today—a damning verdict on decades of political promises about growth, opportunity and “levelling up”. To put that figure in context, that’s 3 percentage points lower than last year and far short of the global average of 32 per cent.
Meanwhile, fears about technology replacing jobs are rampant. A staggering 71 per cent of low-income Britons say they expect to be left behind by artificial intelligence rather than benefit from it—one of the highest figures recorded anywhere. While executives enthuse about innovation and efficiency, millions fear automation will simply mean redundancy and precarity.
No faith in leaders
Trust in leadership has fared no better. The survey shows national government leaders and major media organisations have suffered sharp net losses in trust over recent years, while people retreat inward, placing faith only in family, friends and neighbours.
Even globalisation itself is under suspicion. British respondents trust UK-based companies far more than foreign ones, reflecting a growing sense that international elites profit while domestic workers pay the price through job losses, wage pressure and higher living costs.
The report talks delicately about “grievance” and “insularity”. But strip away the corporate language and the message is blunt: millions of ordinary Britons believe business and government serve a wealthy few, while the rest are expected to swallow declining living standards and endless lectures.
For years, voters were told to trust the experts, trust the institutions, trust the system. They did—and watched financial crashes, lockdown hypocrisy, failing public services and runaway costs of living follow.
Chickens coming home to roost
So is it really shocking that trust is eroding? Or is this simply the bill coming due after decades in which Britain’s elites promised prosperity, delivered insecurity—and then acted surprised when people stopped believing them?
All this leaves an unanswered question—how long will the British people accept being betrayed before they start to push back and demand Our Fair Future?