In the summer of 1944, during the Normandy invasion, surely the nation was proud of its leaders? Not really. Gallup had the effrontery to ask what voters thought of their politicians, and even then only 36% thought them to be acting for the good of the country, while 57% thought they acted only for their own or their party's interest.
Britain has always held its politicians in low esteem. David Kynaston's brilliant description of public attitudes under the now feted Attlee government records the same jaundiced cynicism and mistrust of politics. Mori's long-running questions on politicians since 1983 tell the same story – only 18% to 22% say they tell the truth. Yet people also know they can't do without them: asked if government should be run instead by professional managers, they give a resounding no. So will this prove to be the tipping point in which "throw the bastards out" candidates overwhelm the old parties? Pollsters think almost certainly not. Labour may well be thrown out, but probably only a handful of independents will squeeze through the first past the post two-party barrier to uppity citizens.
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