The Hansard Society and Electoral Commission published the latest annual audit of political engagement and found that 71 percent of UK voters said they trust politicians "not very much" or "not at all".

More than 10 percent declared they were absolutely certain not to vote if there was an immediate general election, while 15 percent said they would not be willing to take any action to express their opinion on issues that are important to them.

But the survey, the fourth to be carried out, also found increased interest in politics, with 54 percent of the public saying they are either 'very' or 'fairly' interested.

Some 22 percent pointed to a lack of interest in politics or a lack of motivation, while 32 percent said a lack of time and other commitments prevents them getting involved in politics.

One of the aims of The Hansard Society is to promote parliamentary democracy and it suggested that the sad thing is that 'politics' has obviously become a pejorative term. "It seems that it is the concept of 'politics' itself which is off-putting to most people," said its chairman Lord Holme, who is a Liberal Democrat peer.

He suggested that the findings posed a major challenge to everybody working in domestic political life in Britain to make better connections between their work and the important issues which affect people's everyday lives.