📊 Poll: Would you buy a used car from these politicians?

As the UK general election approaches, a new poll provides a tongue-in-cheek reflection on the public's trust in politicians. 

The survey, commissioned by Carmoola and conducted by Censuswide with a nationally representative sample of 2,051 Brits, asked the classic Nixon question: “Would you buy a used car from this man?”

Key Findings

• Starmer and Farage Over Sunak: Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, and Nigel Farage, leader of Reform, emerged as more trustworthy choices for a used car purchase than Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
• Political Party Preferences: Respondents expressed a preference for buying from Labour (39%), the Greens (27%), LibDems (22%), or Reform (21%) over the Conservatives (19%).
• General Distrust in Politicians: Despite Starmer being the top choice, 57% of respondents would still not buy a used car from him, highlighting a broader distrust in politicians.

Historical comparisons

Interestingly, Sunak polls worse than four out of his seven most recent predecessors as Prime Minister, including Boris Johnson. Here’s a look at how recent PMs fare:

• Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Boris Johnson and Theresa May: Each garnered 21% of respondents willing to buy a used car from them – the joint highest among the eight most recent prime ministers but Gordon Brown had the lowest percentage among recent PMs of respondents who would not buy him.
• Liz Truss: Tops the list of politicians from whom people would not buy a used car, with a whopping 74% expressing distrust.

Implications of the poll

“The truth is that we’d rather NOT buy a used car from any politician,” says Aidan Rushby, founder and CEO of Carmoola.

And this sentiment aligns with recent findings by the polling guru Sir John Curtice, indicating that 'trust in UK politicians is at an all-time low.'

Aidan adds, “If the election was decided on the basis of this poll, the second largest party would be the Greens, from whom more people (27%) would buy a used car than from any party except Labour (39%)."

However, whether the Greens would sell a used car or prefer to promote public transport is a whole different question.

The election context

This poll comes at a time when official election polls show a volatile and competitive political landscape. According to recent polling data from YouGov, Labour holds a sizeable lead over the Conservatives, reflecting a growing dissatisfaction with the current government. 

Issues such as the economy, healthcare, and immigration dominate the election discourse, with trust and integrity emerging as critical factors influencing voter sentiment.

The bottom line

“If any politician is considering a career change, I’d suggest they steer clear of used car sales,", says Aidan.

"Trust and customer service are key in the motor trade, and it’s clear that the current crop of politicians may not pass muster. 

“And for Liz Truss in particular, I’d have to advise her to think long and hard before entering the used car business - it could be a very short career...”