UKIP supporters have significantly lower trust in charities than those who back Labour, the Conservatives, or Liberal Democrats according to recent polling.

Ipsos MORI research for NPC found 53 per cent of those intending to vote UKIP had low trust and confidence in charities, compared with 33 per cent of Conservative supporters and 28 per cent of those who support Labour.

Just 17 per cent of UKIP supporters reported high trust and confidence in charities, while 28 per cent reported a medium level of trust. Thirty-one per cent of Labour supporters reported high trust and 40 per cent medium trust, while 28 per cent of Conservative supporters had high trust and 37 per cent had a medium level of confidence.

Twenty-nine per cent of Liberal Democrat supporters reported high trust and confidence in charities, and 44 per cent had a medium level of trust. Twenty-four per cent had low trust and the remainder did not know.

Across the sample of more than 1,000 UK adults, 24 per cent reported a high degree of trust and confidence and 37 per cent had a medium level of trust. Thirty-five per cent had low trust while the remainder did not know.

The report, Charities, voters & trust, also referenced previous research on behalf of the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust which showed UKIP supporters tended to have less trust in UK institutions than the population as a whole.

NPC chief executive Dan Corry said charities were in danger of being lumped in with Westminster and other institutions UKIP supporters are disillusioned with.

“UKIP supporters seem to represent an increasing strand of public opinion, and one that the charity sector cannot ignore,” Corry said. “Like it or not, they may have a bigger voice - or even hold the balance of power - after the general election.”

The research also found mistrust for charities was much higher among those who associated them with politics, and/or who felt charities rely on government and business for their funding. Forty-seven per cent of respondents who viewed charities as political had low trust in the organisations, while 55 per cent of those who felt charities rely on government and business for funding had a low level of trust.

However, 52 per cent of people who viewed charities as political still had a medium or high level of trust, likewise 41 per cent of people who felt they were funded by the government or business.

Overall, the more people knew about charities, the more likely they were to trust them. Sixty-nine per cent of people who said they knew a great deal or fair amount about charity had high or medium trust—although 30 per cent of these people still said their trust in charities is low.

Access the new report here: http://bit.ly/1r2hKLD

Share Story: