Four out of five people in Britain believe directors of large firms cannot be trusted to tell the truth, while 78 per cent agree they are paid too much, according to a new survey.

The Mori poll commissioned by the Financial Times found nearly two-thirds did not believe their firms could be trusted to honour their pension commitments to staff.

The impact of high-profile shareholder revolts against the remuneration packages of top executives appears to be having a deep impact on public attitudes. The poll shows 59 per cent believed strongly that directors were overpaid, along with 19 per cent who tended to agree.

Distrust in top company directors is felt right across gender, age and social classes and in all parts of the country. Three-quarters of the highest social class did not trust directors of large firms and the negative image was more strongly felt among the middle-aged than the young. Mori interviewed 1,002 adults aged 16 and over by telephone nationally on June 20th-22nd. Data are weighted to match population profile. - (Financial Times Service)