The gambling betting scandal is the latest reminder of the need to restore trust in politics

The publication of the latest data from the British Social Attitudes Survey on public trust in government made for grim reading, with levels of public confidence in our political system having reached an all time low. What was more depressing was how little reaction this provoked from politicians – for many, it seems, paltry levels of public trust in the ability of our system of government to deliver are a regrettable but immutable fact of life. Thus they absolve themselves of responsibility for tackling this problem.

They are wrong to do so. Trust may be slow to accumulate and easy to lose, but their counterparts in other countries have managed to sustain higher and even rising levels of public trust in governing institutions.

Unfortunately however, there is no easy fix. Building trust comes down to proactively taking incremental steps to improve the systems that help people in public life meet the high standards the public would like to see, to sticking to the standards you set (not making exceptions for your mates) and sweating the small stuff.

The UK election betting scandal is cutting through with the electorate

The current gambling scandal – now expanded to the Labour party with the suspension of the Labour candidate Kevin Craig – is an example of the importance of the last of these. Its significance lies not in the scale of the alleged corruption – the quantum of the bets placed was low – but in the dangerous way such scandals reinforce established, negative narratives. The gambling scandal unfortunately reminds voters of their twin perceptions that politicians are ‘in it for themselves’ and have ‘one rule for themselves and another for everyone else’. Unlike some of the procedural scandals which fail to penetrate beyond the Westminster bubble, gambling is an activity that everyone can understand, as is cheating.

It is because the allegations reinforce existing narratives that it is so important they are dealt with quickly and decisively, rather than because of their significance in and of themselves. Of course the timing of the election is a complicating factor but the fact that there is an independent regulator to investigate need not preclude swifter action by the parties if they believe they can satisfy themselves of the facts more rapidly.

The next government can take a number of small steps towards more ethical government

Aside from dealing effectively with scandals when they break, political parties should also proactively take steps to improve the systems that help people in public life meet high standards. Such measures were the focus of a statement issued by the Institute for Government, UK Governance Project and Constitution Unit on Monday, and accompanying letter to the Times. Our seven steps towards more ethical government include strengthening and increasing the transparency of systems to declare lobbying and conflicts of interest, and to make public appointments and bestow honours, and increasing the independence of the prime minister’s adviser on ministerial interests (something Labour has committed to in its manifesto) alongside the clarity of the ministerial code.

The Conservative Party has not placed any particular emphasis on ethics in its manifesto – perhaps unsurprisingly given the controversies that have dogged its recent years in government. Labour has announced plans – should it form the next government – for a new integrity and ethics commission. But there are unanswered questions about exactly what role this would play in the landscape of government ethics.

Too often, fixing the ethical roof when the sun of good behaviour is shining does not feel like a priority. But parties should constantly remind themselves of the frustrating way in which ethical scandals can distract from and disrupt the ability of governments to deliver on their political priorities. The next government should ensure it takes the small steps which are the only way back towards greater public confidence in the business of government.