Essex/Royal Holloway - Dishonourable members

Attitudes towards politicians and their levels of honesty and integrity have changed surprisingly little despite the high-profile MPs' expenses scandal. That is the finding of a study by researchers at the University of Essex and Royal Holloway, University of London. The research involved a survey of more than 1,000 people before the scandal broke last year, and then a follow-up poll of the same respondents six months later. At both points in time, those polled viewed politicians unfavourably: 65.9 per cent believed that political standards were "somewhat low" or "very low" in the first survey, compared with 67 per cent in the second poll.