The UK government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic continues to damage public trust in its ability to respond to future crises, new research suggests – with only a small minority believing national or local systems are prepared for future emergencies.

A nationwide Cabinet Office-commissioned survey of over 10,000 people found that just 19% believed central government was ready to manage a major emergency, while only 14% felt their local authority was prepared. Many respondents explicitly cited the government’s pandemic response – widely seen as slow, chaotic and poorly communicated – as the reason for their lack of trust. The findings echo last year’s Covid-19 Inquiry evidence, which concluded the government had “failed its citizens” by planning for the wrong type of outbreak.

The research shows that two-thirds of the public expect emergencies and disasters to become more common in the next decade, yet most people do not believe key institutions are ready. Just a quarter of respondents trust utility companies to cope with disruption, and only 20% have confidence in telecoms providers.

Although nearly half of those surveyed said they had taken some personal steps to prepare – such as storing supplies or having a back-up power source – only 13% felt their household was genuinely ready for a prolonged disruption. Most believe the government should lead on planning and communication, but – even without the lack of trust issue – only one in five recall having received any advice on emergencies in the past year.

The report, released under the banner of building resilience, instead reveals a picture of a population expecting more shocks, but lacking faith that government and infrastructure are equipped to manage them.

Despite widespread scepticism towards government and infrastructure preparedness, the research points to a notably higher level of public trust in the emergency services. Fire, police and ambulance services were viewed far more favourably, with many respondents expressing confidence in their ability to respond effectively during crises.

Research for the UK Public Survey of Risk Perception, Resilience and Preparedness 2025: Technical Report was commissioned by the Conservative government’s Cabinet Office Resilience Directorate, and conducted in late 2023.


See the next issue of CIR Magazine for more on this report.

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