Britons Feel Isolated and Mistrustful, Major Poll Reveals

A massive new poll of over 13,000 British adults, conducted by More In Common and shared on May 20, 2025, paints a grim picture: half of Britons feel disconnected from society, and many are wary of others. The findings, coming just a week after Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned that high immigration could turn Britain into an “island of strangers,” show a nation grappling with division, mistrust, and fading community ties.

What the Poll Found

The survey uncovered deep feelings of alienation. Fifty percent of respondents said they feel disconnected from society, and 44% sometimes feel like a “stranger” in their own country. This isn’t just a white British issue—47% of British Asians reported feeling like strangers, slightly more than the 44% of white Britons. Economic hardship seems to be a big driver: 66% of those struggling financially felt disconnected, compared to just 37% of those doing okay. Focus groups pointed to less face-to-face interaction—blamed on social media, remote work, and tech—as a key reason people feel distant from each other.

Mistrust is also rife. Over half (53%) agreed that “you can’t be too careful with most people,” with younger folks especially skeptical—65% of 18-24-year-olds and 62% of 25-34-year-olds lacked faith in others. On multiculturalism, opinions split evenly: 53% see it as a benefit to national identity, while 47% view it as a threat, with some saying integration has fallen short.

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Why It Matters

Luke Tryl, director of More In Common, called the results a wake-up call.

“We’re turning inward, becoming more distant,” he said, stressing the need to rebuild a united society.

The poll suggests disconnection isn’t just about immigration, as Starmer hinted, but tied to deeper issues like poverty, loneliness, and tech-driven isolation. With 83% of Britons valuing community (per a 2024 YouGov survey), this sense of drift is a red flag. The findings also echo global trends—similar mistrust and polarization are spiking in the US and Europe, per Pew Research.

A New Push for Unity

The poll kicks off “This Place Matters,” a project backed by More In Common, UCL Policy Lab, and Citizens UK to strengthen social bonds. Matthew Bolton of Citizens UK said solutions won’t come from government alone but from local leaders listening to what divides or unites neighborhoods. The project aims to create a blueprint for cohesion, focusing on community-led efforts like shared spaces or local events.

The Challenges

Rebuilding trust is tough. Economic divides are stark—UK poverty hit 22% in 2023, per the Joseph Rowntree Foundation—and remote work, while flexible, has cut casual social ties, with 30% of workers fully remote, per ONS data. Multiculturalism’s mixed reception also complicates things; focus groups said poor integration fuels tension. Plus, younger people’s mistrust, possibly tied to social media echo chambers, makes outreach harder. Any fix needs to tackle these root causes without quick, top-down policies.

What’s Next?

“This Place Matters” will roll out community workshops and pilot projects in 2025, aiming to test ideas like neighborhood hubs or youth mentorship. The team hopes to share a cohesion plan by 2026, ahead of the next UK election. For now, the poll is a stark reminder: Britain’s social fabric is fraying, and fixing it will take more than words—it’ll need real connection, from the ground up.

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