Voters' trust in Westminster politicians falls the further away from London they live, according to a new survey.
While almost a quarter of the 2,000 people questioned in the capital said they would trust MPs to allocate spending within their region, the level fell to 14 per cent in Scotland and the north of England,
The figure is a little higher, at 19 per cent in the east of England and 17 per cent in the south, 15 per cent in the Midlands,13 per cent in Wales and only two per cent in Northern Ireland.
Levels of confidence in local politicians to make the right decisions were five times as high in Northern Ireland (10 per cent) and more than twice as high in the north (30 per cent), Scotland (33 per cent), the Midlands (34 per cent) and the east (41per cent).
The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy unveiled the survey as it called for more devolution of spending and revenue-raising powers away from Westminster to the regions and nations of the UK.
Chief executive Rob Whiteman said: "As trust ebbs away from Whitehall, politicians in Westminster urgently need to make sure that they are empowering and equipping local leaders with the both the means and the powers to ensure that devolution works for local communities."
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