Trashing Trust – Lies Damn Lies Statistics & Government

How can we trust our public leaders, and how can they retain public goodwill?

“A Fragile Commodity: trust in the public sphere” on the quality of public debate and especially political debate, focussing especially on the question of trust.

Who do we or can we trust now – politicians, scientists, the media, clergy, the police..? How can we debate things constructively and respectfully, when so much now seems to be polarised into divergent camps, with no empathy for the others’ views? How can we challenge politicians/hold them to account, effectively? How can we trust these public leaders, and how can they retain public goodwill, e.g. on lockdown measures?

Convener: Joyce McMillan

Panel members:

• Professor Stephen Reicher
• Darren McGarvey