[DSRP Evidence](https://dsrpevidence.org/)

# Perception gaps in the British Parliament reveal a possible pathway to stronger climate policy action

Tanase et al., 2026, Communications Sustainability — Political Science

Patterns: [Relationships](https://dsrpevidence.org/pattern/relationships), [Perspectives](https://dsrpevidence.org/pattern/perspectives)

## In short

Members of Parliament's internal model of what the public believes is measurably different from the public's actual position as captured by independent polling, and this perspective gap -- rather than actual public opinion -- is what drives their political behavior.

## What they found (results)

A survey of 100 sitting UK MPs found they underestimated public support for climate policies by 11 percentage points on average and overestimated division between voter groups, with lower perceived support associated with reduced willingness to speak in favor of a pricing policy.

These researchers were not testing DSRP. The finding is theirs; the correspondence to DSRP is drawn by this site.

[Source](https://doi.org/10.1038/s44458-026-00097-9)