The disillusionment of UKIP supporters could damage the charity sector

Study shows that UKIP supporters are as disillusioned with charities as they are with MPS.

Study shows that UKIP supporters are as disillusioned with charities as they are with MPS

New polling by Ipsos Mori for NPC warns that the mistrust many UKIP supporters feel for ‘the establishment’ is now extending to the charity sector.

Over half of UKIP supporters said that they had no trust in UK charities, adding them to the list of institutions in which they have lower than average trust – MPs, the BBC and the police.

The new data, which is the first of its kind ever published, finds that 53 per cent of UKIP supporters declare low trust in charities, compared with 33 per cent of Conservative voters, 28 per cent of Labour supporters and 24 per cent of Lib Dems.

This compares with 35 per cent of the public as a whole who say they have low trust in charities.

The study also shows that people are much less likely to trust charities if they feel they are political. 40 per cent of people said they would prefer to donate to local charities, but only 15 per cent mostly view charities as ‘local’. 70 per cent of people would prefer to donate to service delivery charities rather than awareness raising ones.

The poll finds that international charities have ‘virtually no support’ from UKIP voters; 1 in 5 of the general public support international charities.

The NPC worry that the findings may have serious implications for the charity sector as it struggles to find support amid increasing scepticism. The government, NPC argues, will have to find new ways of making civil society work in the age of austerity.

NPC’s chief executive Dan Corry said:

“We know that many UKIP supporters are disillusioned with the Westminster establishment and with many public institutions. Our new research suggests that charities are in danger of being lumped in with them, as UKIP supporters are far less trusting in charities compared to supporters of the three established parties.

‘UKIP supporters seem to represent an increasing strand of public opinion, and one that the charity sector cannot ignore. Like it or not, they may have a bigger voice—or even hold the balance of power—after the general election.”

33 Responses to “The disillusionment of UKIP supporters could damage the charity sector”

  1. Richard Honey

    The Big Society? Wow you’ve got s long memory. I seem to remember the so-called BS never took off in part because the Coalition proceeded to cut funding to the voluntary sector. Pretty much all that remains are food banks funded by the churches and the generosity of shoppers and others, sickened at what this government for the bankers and the wealthy has done to society. But then the Tories and their mates think that food banks are unnecessary and are exploited by the ‘greedy’ masquerading as poor – so much for the BS in practice.

  2. Seymour

    Dear swat,

    Please feel free to give whatever you can afford to your favourite causes, just as I do.
    Do Not feel free to fund them from my pocket via taxation or any other method.

    When governments fund charities they become beholden to whichever party funds them, that reduces choice at the local, and evry other, level

  3. CGR

    Very true. These days we see pseudo-charities that are really large money raising organisations doing very little real charitable work but spending a lot on publicity with a lot of managers earning a lot of money.

  4. sarntcrip

    THE ARESO BASICALLY TORY AND INSULAR KIPPERS ARE TORY IES AND CARE ABOUT NOBODY OTHER THAN THEMSELVES, CERTAINLY NOT THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE UKOR THE GREAT WORK DONE BY MANY CHARITIES KIPPERS PARTICULARLY DIS LIKE HELP FOR HEROES AND THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION

  5. swat

    Many Charites are transforming themselves into Social Enterprises and bidding for contracts from Local Authorities and Govt, and delivering services, better than the private sector, because they know their customers and are not in it for the money. So in the end you may find yourself paying less council tax.
    The grants and contracts are awarded fairly and they don’t feel beholden to the Authority.

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