77% of Public Trust Builders More Than MPs

London, UK, May 25^th 2010 – With the UK public left unsettled by the recent election chaos, politicians continue trying to win them over with promises of building a better Britain. However, recent research into trust, commissioned to launch the 10^th Master Builder of the Year Awards, found that 86% of the public have more faith in their local builder than they do in politicians to get a job done properly. A sign that it should be left to the UK’s trusted builders to fix broken Britain.

With parliament, policies and political parties the hot topic of conversation at the moment, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), organisers of the Awards, commissioned research to measure public attitudes towards trust and uncovered some interesting truths – 65% would like to see more real people, like tradesman, become MPs and 77% trust their builder more than their local MP. The FMB works hard to maintain the reputation of its members and does everything it can to ensure that the public does not lose confidence in the trade. This includes a website offering inspiration, advice, free contracts   and tips on choosing the right builder. Perhaps the new coalition could learn a thing or two from this trade body!

To coincide with the research and to celebrate ten years of showcasing the very best in construction, FMB is working with celebrity property guru Phil Spencer to search for Britain’s best builder, in a competition that aims to continue to raise the standard of British building, in innovation, client service, skills and sustainability.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to have seen some incredible building projects in my time, as well as some fairly ordinary ones. That’s why I am delighted to be working with the FMB in a bid to help inspire tradesmen and the public to build a better Britain,” said Phil Spencer, the presenter of C4 Location, Location, Location and Relocation, Relocation.

FMB Director General, Richard Diment said: “Our research reflects public sentiment, as politicians continue to chip away at public trust, and people realise that local people, like tradesman, can be trusted. However, bricks and mortar alone are not going to build a better Britain. We need to ensure that we are working towards a more sustainable Britain with a well-skilled workforce. The FMB is dedicated to raising awareness of these issues and through these Awards, we hope to continue to inspire the public and the building industry to push the boundaries in these areas.”

The 2010 Master Builder of the Year Awards require every builder to be nominated by a satisfied customer – a client who is so pleased with their finished project that they feel their builder deserves national recognition. The awards are designed to reward both builders and their clients, which means the winning builder not only enjoys the title of Master Builder of the Year and the Nissan Light Commercial Vehicle of their choice worth up to £20,000, but their client will enjoy a £3,000 holiday!

Each of the category winning builders and their clients also win luxury weekend breaks for two at the Barceló hotel of their choice in the UK.

The awards are open to all builders and specialist tradespeople. If clients feel that their builder has excelled in the quality of their work and their professionalism, then they can enter them for the 2010 Master Builder of the Year Awards by registering online at www.fmb.org.uk/awards or by calling 020 7092 3870 and an application pack will be sent by return.

The competition has a wide range of categories to make sure it is open to as many builders as possible. Categories include New Homes, Small/Medium/Large Renovation Projects, Energy Efficient buildings, Commercial Projects (up to £3m), a special Heavenly Builder award for builders who display outstanding levels of customer service, no matter how small the job they undertake and an award for the Apprentice of the Year.

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