Thread by @rose_zussman

The Lord Speaker says that Boris Johnson's new list of proposed #peerages could erode 'public confidence in our parliamentary system'. Presumably 'further' is implied.

This is a sample of recent polling of the public mood regarding those elected to serve in the public interest:

Nearly 2/3 see politicians as 'out for themselves' (2021) ippr.org/news-and-media…

Nearly 2/3 believe 'Britain’s system of government is rigged to the advantage of the rich and powerful' (2019) hansardsociety.org.uk/publications/a…

Over 2/3 say they have little or no confidence in the Government’s ability to run the country with integrity (2022, amid gov't resignations) ipsos.com/en-uk/2-3-lack…

(Even those in the party of government appear to agree: at least 27 MPs in government or senior Conservative Party roles cited concerns over conduct, standards or integrity in their resignation letters. transparency.org.uk/conservative-l…)

76% think wealthy individuals are using influence on government to benefit their own interests (2016) transparency.org.uk/publications/t… (see references)

Only 35% trust the national government, which is lower than the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average (41%) (2022) ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulati…

76% don’t trust MPs to take decisions that will improve their lives, while 73% don’t trust the Government on the same measure (2022) carnegieuktrust.org.uk/blog-posts/los…

There will be lots of reasons for these results. May I suggest that among them are:

MPs holding second jobs, raising potential conflicts of interest inews.co.uk/news/politics/…

MPs getting caught using their Parliamentary roles to benefit the private companies who pay them google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.…

(...and the Government attempting to change the rules for them post-hoc bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politi…)

MPs accepting luxury holidays and lobbying in favour of those who pay for them independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…

MPs tabling parliamentary questions 'on behalf of' corrupt and repressive regimes opendemocracy.net/en/opendemocra…

MPs accepting funding from foreign agents independent.co.uk/news/uk/barry-…

Political parties selling access to senior figures google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.…

Political parties selling access to the Prime Minister dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4…, uk.news.yahoo.com/tory-donor-din…

Ministers taking 'unlawful' decisions that benefit party donors bigissue.com/news/housing/t…

Secretive lobbying theguardian.com/business/2021/…

Lucrative government contracts being awarded to political associates transparency.org.uk/track-and-trac…

Self-policing in the form of refusal to investigate or sanction rule breaking theguardian.com/politics/2020/…

The award of permanent positions in the legislature for large party donors theguardian.com/politics/2015/…

Toothless ethics advisers independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…, inews.co.uk/news/politics/…, news.sky.com/story/prime-mi…

Also earlier scandals over expenses, cash for questions and cash for honours, and things like well-founded concerns about foreign interference isc.independent.gov.uk › ...PDF
HC 632 – Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament – Russia

To name but a few.

It is worth noting the (associated?) trend toward voters entertaining radical ideas that are opposed to democratic values and norms: hansardsociety.org.uk/publications/a… (2019)

There isn't a shortage of proposed solutions to the myriad problems of corruption in public life.
(Ahem: transparency.org.uk/publications/r…)

But the thing about political reform is those who have the power to make the necessary changes are those most invested in the status quo. What will be interesting to see is whether and how the inevitable resulting drumbeat of political scandal plays out electorally,

and whether the UK's political parties will ever collectively choose the survival of democracy over short term advantage, and work together to restore trust in public life.