Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

In March 2003 the Committee on Standards in Public Life commissioned BMRB Social Research to conduct a national survey of public attitudes towards the standards of conduct of public office holders in Britain. The survey was part of a long term study to establish a benchmark of public opinions about standards of conduct in public life and followed on from a preliminary stage of exploratory qualitative research conducted by the National Centre for Social Research in 2002. The aims of the survey were: to establish what the public sees as acceptable and unacceptable behaviour on the part of elected and appointed holders of public office and the extent to which the Seven Principles of Public Life reflect public priorities; to assess how far the public believes that the behaviour of holders of public office is, for the most part, acceptable or unacceptable; to assess how far the public believes that holders of public office are effectively held responsible and accountable for their conduct. BMRB interviewed a nationally representative random sample of 1,097 adults aged 18 or over in Britain between 5th November 2003 and 7th March 2004. Interviews were carried out in respondents’ homes using computer-assisted interviewing (CAPI). The response rate at in-scope addresses in the sample was 53.7 per cent. A report detailing the findings from the survey was published on 8th September 2004, and is included in the documentation for this study.

Main Topics:

Topics covered include: current affairs; expectations, priorities and perceptions of holders of public office; political attitudes and demographic characteristics (including educational background and qualifications, newspaper readership, employment details, gender, age and marital status). The file includes variables in questionnaire order, and some extra cross-tabulation and non-questionnaire variables. Standard Measures: The NS-SEC socio-economic classification was used.

Multi-stage stratified random sample

Face-to-face interview

CAPI