No spin on this... we don’t trust you!

EMBARRASSING details of expenses claims and scandals over smears - the reputations of politicians have reached a new low.

The effect is that a recent poll revealed that a third of Britons don’t trust any politicians.

Reporter Richard Hooton asked shoppers in Oldham town centre if they felt able to trust the people seeking our vote and why.IT was an almost universal NO from Oldham residents asked by the Chronicle if they trusted politicians.

K weeks of reports about MPs’ dodgy expense claims and a former aide to the Prime Minister proposing to smear political opponents, it’s hardly surprising faith in the country’s leaders is low.

Lynne Harrison (53), of Hollinwood, said: “I don’t trust them really. It’s just they are there for themselves. They make these promises but they don’t seem to follow them through.

“I think the leaders are all similar. I gave up voting because of that reason. I just abstain from voting now. I don’t know what they can do to regain people’s confidence.”

Friend Natalie Kerr (17), from Hollinwood, said: “I don’t really follow politics but I don’t trust them.”

Pauline Wallis, from Grotton, said: “I don’t trust them. They are too greedy and too sleazy and very deceitful most of them.

“I think it’s disgraceful the ordinary people are struggling to live. I’m on my own and have to watch every penny while they get money and expenses and everything else and are cutting services. Everything is in a terrible mess, including the hospitals. “There are a few that are alright, that have morals that they should all have if they are serving people. I’m a bit wary of all the leaders. I didn’t like Blair and Brown’s even worse. I would rather have Cameron than Brown.”

Expense claim scandals and the recent e-mail smear furore has left her even more disillusioned. To regain trust she suggested they all resign.

Rod Fenton, from Greenfield, said: “Never. I would not trust any of them. To me personally it seems there’s a gravy train they want to get on. It’s like winning the pools for five years. I would have a go at it but it’s not available to most of us.

“At our age we have got past getting angry. You just accept it. I always vote but not always for one person or party. There’s no difference between the leaders in politics. It doesn’t matter whose going to get in, we still won’t be happy.

“They should restore the 10p tax band for starters. They keep saying we have but we have not got it back.

“If you retire and only have money in the bank it’s going down all the time. It’s wrong.”

His wife Jean Fenton said: “They tell you what they want you to hear. They are gambling with everything we have got.”

Susanna MacKinnon (71), from Chadderton, lived in America for more than 36 years but says politicians are equally untrustworthy on both sides of the Atlantic.

She added: “My pension is better over there than it is here. Politicians are all mixed up. I never trust them.”

Daughter Helen Bain (41), from Holts, added: “I don’t trust them either.”

Graham Barber (49), from Oldham, said: “I don’t trust them — not when they’re in power. I’m sure many of them start off with good purposes.

“I think even if you keep your finger on the pulse and watch the news you still never get to the bottom of what’s going on unless you get involved in it and most people don’t get actively involved.

“The recent scandals don’t surprise me. They are all out for themselves at some point.”

But John Dayco (38), of Chadderton, said: “I’m not really interested in politics but of course I trust politicians, they run the country. I believe what they say.”

He added that the recent scandals will affect society but said a lot of it might just be gossip.