The vast majority of Britons believe that the system is rigged to serve the rich and influential, according to research published by More in Common.
Of those surveyed, 74% of people said they thought the system in the UK was rigged, with only 26% believing that the system works for the majority of people.
The research noted that when Britons talk about the rigged system in focus groups, they refer both to politicians and to big business, adding that they feel these parties aren’t upholding their end of the social contract.
Feedback from the Britons surveyed was categorised by education level, with the study noting that those who did not finish secondary school are the most likely to see the system as rigged, while those with postgraduate degrees are far more likely to think the system works for the majority of people.
The image below shows the responses to the question of whether the system in the UK is rigged to serve the rich and influential.
The research also found that the majority of Brits are pessimistic about the future of the country, a view that was particularly prevalent amongst those with lower education levels, with 88% of those who did not finish secondary school believing that Britain’s best years are behind it.
Those with postgraduate degrees are the only group who believe that the country’s best years are still ahead, the study found.
Brits do feel like ‘strangers’ – but it’s not just immigration
During his speech announcing new immigration rules aimed at tightening the border and reducing the number of migrants entering the country, Keir Starmer said Britain risks becoming an ‘island of strangers’ as people became more alienated due to uncontrolled immigration.
Research from More in Common shows that while feelings of alienation are indeed on the rise amongst the UK population, the reasons are more numerous and complex than simply immigration.
According to the study, 44% of Britons say they sometimes feel like they are strangers to those around them and half feel disconnected from society. The most important factor in this alienation, the research suggests, is financial insecurity.
“The Prime Minister’s warning that we risk becoming an ‘island of strangers’ resonates with millions who say they feel disconnected from those around them,” said Luke Tryl, UK Director at More in Common.
“But it would be a mistake to say that immigration and lack of integration are the sole causes of our fragmenting social fabric. The public point to a range of forces driving us apart: some cite the retreat from workplaces to screens; others talk about the loss of shared spaces and rituals that once brought us together.”
“For many, it’s the simple feeling that the cost of living crisis has made a social life feel like a luxury,” he said.
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