The survey found 66% of Welsh respondents think politicians are “out merely for themselves” — almost identical to the UK‑wide figure of 67%. Just 4% in Wales believe politicians primarily act in the best interests of the country, while 20% think they put their party first.
Little change since 2022
The findings show attitudes in Wales are broadly in line with the rest of Britain and have barely shifted in the past three years.
Across the UK, the view that politicians act largely out of self‑interest is shared by majorities of voters for all parties — including 63% of Labour and Liberal Democrat supporters, 65% of Conservatives and 68% of Greens. Reform UK voters are the most sceptical, with 83% saying politicians are out for themselves.
A long‑term decline in trust
While the figures are stark, distrust in political motives is not new. In 1944, during the Second World War, Gallup found 36% of Britons believed politicians were trying to do what was best for the country, compared to 35% who thought they were out for themselves.
By 1972, the proportion who believed politicians acted in the national interest had fallen to 28%. In 2014, a YouGov poll put it at just 10%, with nearly half (48%) saying politicians acted mainly for themselves.
‘A major point of concern’
YouGov said the results underline the scale of the challenge facing anyone seeking to rebuild public trust in politics.
A spokesperson said:
“The lack of trust in politics has been a major point of concern in recent years, both in the UK and around the world. Central to that loss of trust is the question of what motivates politicians — and the public increasingly sees them as self‑interested.”
