Context:

A 15-year survey finds a broad erosion of British pride and trust in key national institutions, with pride in being British, British history, and Britain’s global position pulling toward zero while belief in non-British residents’ trustworthiness also falls. The report highlights sharp declines in trust for the BBC and Parliament, framing pride as essential to social cohesion and democratic functioning. It notes divergent views across political groups and a growing sense of national fragmentation, driven by debates over immigration, information ecosystems, and perceived bias. Looking ahead, the authors warn that without rebuilding shared pride and trust, democratic legitimacy and long-term policy support could weaken further, even as calls for national narrative shift. A striking stat anchors the trend: trust in non-British people in Britain sits at just 14 percent, down from 19 percent in 2011, while overall pride edges toward neutrality.

Dive Deeper:

• The report, revisiting 2011 findings, shows net agreement with pride in British citizenship at +46, down from +74, with pride in British history at +39 (down from +65) and pride in Britain's world role at +13 (down from +35). The trend maps onto a rising view that Britain’s best days are behind her, with +45% agreeing this versus +21% in 2011.

• Pride is described as a 'relational oil' essential to citizen-state relations, and its decline is linked to dampened willingness to contribute to the common good or engage in democracy, signaling a potential democratic doom loop unless pride is rebuilt.

• Trust in institutions has deteriorated, notably for the BBC (from +48 to -11) and Parliament (from +23 to -11) over 15 years, with perceived media bias and Brexit-friction cited as factors.

• The report critiques the pandemic-era lockdowns as an example of government capability to shape public behaviour, framing it as evidence of an authoritative shift rather than a cautionary tale of overreach, while praising the weekly Clap for the NHS for reinforcing faith in public institutions.

• Attitudes toward migrants show nuanced changes: local trust in neighbors remains around 60%, but trust in non-British people falls to 14% (down from 19% in 2011). Party differences are pronounced, with Green supporters most trusting non-Britons (+56) and Reform voters the least (-40).

• Green and Labour voters exhibit higher pride in the BBC (+36 and +36 respectively are noted), whereas Reform voters display extreme distrust (-65), and both Reform voters and Tories strongly support the Union Jack, in contrast to Greens who rate it slightly negative.

• The report highlights a 'balkanisation' of Britain's identity, where divergent experiences of civic/democratic institutions versus symbolic national institutions mean no single unifying moment remains; mainstream politics struggles to offer a shared emotional framework for long-term policy adoption.