Hi °C | Lo °C A third of Britons do not trust any politician, a poll revealed today.
Of the remaining two-thirds more said they trusted Tory leader David Cameron to keep his word (21%) than Prime Minister Gordon Brown (12%).
London Mayor Boris Johnson was in second place in the political selections with 20%. The Queen was voted the most trusted person in the public eye, according to the YouGov survey.
The poll of more than 2,000 people was commissioned by specialist insurer Hiscox to examine national feeling around the issue of trust in the wake of the recession.
Although 79% of Britons stated they valued people who kept promises, the poll revealed 44% admitted breaking their word in the office.
More than half (60%) expected those around them to break their word, with bosses expected to be the most likely candidates (19%) to do so.
However, 44% felt it was unthinkable not to keep to their word when it came to family.A total of 36% of respondents also claimed the importance they placed on trustworthiness had risen in the economic crisis.
In their attitudes to public figures, 75% stated they cared about celebrities they trusted remaining true to their word.
Those surveyed were given lists of high-profile people from which they selected the three individuals they most trusted to keep their word.
In the Royal section, the Queen came out on top, with 53%, followed by the Prince of Wales (31%) and the Princess Royal (27%).
Sir Trevor McDonald led the list of news readers with 41%, while Bob Geldof ranked highest among musicians (26%).
For sport, Gary Lineker secured 21% ahead of David Beckham (18%).
Social psychologist Dr David Lewis, who worked on the study, said: "It’s ironic that whilst the importance of trust has clearly increased in the current economic climate, Britons don’t appear to be acting with greater integrity in the office.
"This study shows that trust is fundamental to economic life - the real challenge is bringing this back to strength in the UK."
Glenn Caton, of Hiscox Insurance, said: "We commissioned this survey to look at the issue of trust in the wake of the credit crunch, a value central to our business.
"We’re pleased the results show that honesty and integrity are highly prized commodities for businesses and individuals yet understand that people are still wary given the events of the last year."
:: YouGov plc surveyed 2,044 online between March 9 and 11.
