Trust in Britain’s system of government has collapsed to record lows, and voters remain broadly disappointed by Labour’s performance, a long-running survey has found.

Only 19 per cent of people say the way Britain is run could not be improved much and a mere 12 per cent trust the government to put the national interest first, demonstrating that the ousting of the Conservatives has failed to repair faith in the country’s battered institutions.

Stagnant living standards, dissatisfaction with the NHS and the after-effects of Brexit are all undermining confidence in the British system, according to the British Social Attitudes Survey.

• Keir Starmer’s approval rating tracked

No 10 is increasingly concerned about the loss of trust in government, seeing it as a key reason behind the rise of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK as dissatisfied voters look beyond the main parties. Downing Street is seeking to focus on proving to swing voters, whom it has dubbed “striving moderates” and “grafting realists”, that conventional politics can offer lasting improvements to their lives.

The scale of the challenge was underlined by findings from a decades-long survey showing that any optimism after Labour’s landslide victory quickly dissipated as Sir Keir Starmer put up taxes and cut services.Labour one year on: send us your voice notesWhat one Labour policy has affected you or your family most and why?Please share your response with us in a voice message on WhatsApp. You can reach us at +44 (0)7353096428.When the survey began in 1973, voters were evenly split on the question of whether the “present system of governing Britain” could be improved significantly. During Tony Blair’s honeymoon period in 1997, 56 per cent said it could not improved by much, while 42 per cent said it could.Attitudes towards government slipped thereafter and collapsed in the aftermath of the pandemic, 79 per cent saying in 2023 the system could be improved a lot and only 19 per cent finding little room for improvement. In the weeks after Starmer’s victory, confidence jumped to a 31-69 split, before falling back to 19-79 in the autumn, the survey of more than 4,000 voters found.Optimism was short-lived after Sir Keir Starmer moved into No 10 with his wife VictoriaTOLGA AKMEN/EPA“In contrast to previous elections, the 2024 contest did little to restore people’s trust and confidence in how they are being governed,” concluded the researchers at the National Centre for Social Research (Natcen), which carried out the survey.“Even in the immediate wake of the election, people’s confidence in Britain’s system of governance and their trust in governments and MPs appeared little changed. Meanwhile, within just a few months, trust and confidence were back down to the record or near-record lows that had been observed before the election. As a result, levels are lower now than they have been after any previous election.”• Starmer tells rebels he’ll ‘push ahead’ with benefit reformsThe researchers found that those with low levels of trust were more likely to vote Reform or Green, saying: “For many, the choice between the two parties of government looked too much like a choice between Tweedledum and Tweedledee.”While Starmer boasts of putting “country first, party second”, voters largely do not believe him. Just 12 per cent trust the government to put the national interest first most of the time and 46 per cent said this “almost never” happens. During the New Labour honeymoon, 33 per cent trusted the government to do the right thing most of the time, and only 12 per cent almost never. During the pandemic the figures were more evenly split, 24-27, before a collapse afterwards that has continued under Labour.“The 2024 election highlighted significant challenges to Britain’s traditional two-party system and the result has yet to restore public trust and confidence,” said Alex Scholes of Natcen. “With voter trust at an all-time low and a growing support for electoral reform, the political landscape is poised for potential transformation.”• Kemi Badenoch’s quest to become Mrs ThatcherSolid majorities among voters of all major parties now back changing the voting system, the survey also found. Support for change reached a majority in 2021 and a new voting system is now backed by 60 per cent to 36 per cent, in a reversal of the pattern between the early 1980s and 2010.Scholes and colleagues concluded: “[Voters are] looking for more effective government than they feel they have enjoyed in recent years, not least in respect of the economy and public services. The key question ultimately facing Britain’s democracy is whether it can deliver.”