Local councillors 'more trusted than MPs'

Local councillors are more likely to be truthful than MPs, a study carried out by ethics watchdog Standards for England revealed today.The poll found less than 1% of people felt local MPs "always" tell the truth, and 29% thought they "never or rarely" tell the truth - more than the 20% revealed in the same survey in 2007.Faith in local councillors was slightly higher than MPs, with more people feeling they "always" tell the truth, and fewer thinking they never or rarely did.Some 2% felt councillors were always honest, while 20% said they were "never or rarely" truthful.The survey, which repeated the same questions asked in 2007, was carried out in June in the wake of the MPs' expenses scandal.A total of 1,735 adults aged over 18 were polled between June 11 and 16.Today Standards for England chief executive Glenys Stacey said: "Anecdotally, we are told the MPs' expenses issue was much discussed on the doorstep during the recent local election campaign."It is pleasing, therefore, to see that trust in local politicians held up favourably compared to people's views about national politicians."She said local councillors sign up to a code of conduct along with "an effective local standards framework", which deals with 2,800 complaints a year about England's 80,000 local politicians.The system is supported by Standards for England, the independent national regulator.Mrs Stacey said cases of the most serious wrongdoing were rare, and only 19 councillors were suspended or disqualified as a result of standards complaints in 2007/08.She said: "Working with English councils, we need to do more to let local residents know how the standards framework is helping to safeguard high standards in local government."