Since 2021, The MHP Polarisation Tracker has provided an early warning system for trends including the brand purpose backlash, Net Zero hesitancy, medical expert scepticism and the rise of Super Distrusters.
Our research has helped brands and leaders foresee and navigate some of the biggest fault lines in British society and protect trust in their brands.
Produced in partnership with Cambridge University’s Political Psychology Lab, the Tracker is a long-term study based on a nationally representative survey of the British public conducted every six months. It allows us to identify the long-term trends that communicators, leaders and risk planners need to understand to protect their reputations and navigate complex issues.
First identified in Wave 6 of the MHP Polarisation Tracker, Super Distrusters are a segment of the adult population that believe the country is heading in the wrong direction and blame corrupt institutions and a self-serving elite for the problems.
Approximately one third of the UK population, and drawn from the left and right of the political spectrum, they are increasingly distrustful of authority and activist in their behaviour. They are concerned about authoritarianism the abuse of technology and they are much less engaged with the mainstream media.
Super Distrusters represent a major challenge for any organisation seeking to lead change and are often the driving force behind brand backlashes. They are also a powerful economic and cultural cohort in their own right.
Understanding how Super Distrusters see the world and react to campaigns is essential.
To learn more about Super Distrusters, download the report.
In our latest report, we examine attitudes towards Labour in government and the rise of Reform. We also explore attitudes towards immigration and Net Zero, whether people believe we live in a ‘two-tier’ society, and whether there really is a growing gender divide in British politics. Five key takeaways from this report include:
1. Labour has lost significant support from low trust voters, with Reform the main beneficiaries
2. Immigration has become the biggest dividing line in British politics
3. Belief in a two-tier society is widespread, with class rather than ethnicity seen as the big divide
4. Public support for the UK’s Net Zero ambitions remains strong but shows evidence of both overall decline and growing left-right polarisation
5. Younger men feel unfairly demonised by society and younger women are the most likely group to disagree with the political views of the opposite sex
