Jimmy Carr 'More Trustworthy' than George Osborne

British people would be more likely to trust comedian Jimmy Carr than chancellor George Osborne, a study claims.

In an online poll, over 2,000 members of the public were asked to which celebrity they would happily lend money. Osborne, the man who holds the country's purse strings, came bottom of the pile.

He was even considered less trustworthy than the comedian Jimmy Carr, whose participation in a tax avoidance scheme forced him to make a cringeing public apology.

However, despite his repeated denunciation of tax avoidance, Osborne is still considered less trustworthy, with politicians as a whole being voted the least trustworthy profession by respondents to the survey from Amigo Loans.

Politicians have always struggled to win the lasting trust of the public, and this coalition government has endured a particularly torrid period, with revelations regarding cosy journalistic relationships aired throughout the Leveson inquiry.

Footballers and bank managers were the two other professions singled out as untrustworthy, confirming a negative impression hardened by the continued economic crisis, Libor scandal and repeated headlines of sportsmen 'playing away from home'.

Perhaps bouyed by the recent Jubilee celebrations, the majority of the 2,033 respondents said they would trust the Royal Family, with Kate Middleton ranked as the most trustworthy. She was closely followed by father-in-law Prince Charles.

"We're not a sceptical nation, but it is evident we have developed a sense of wariness when if comes to public figures who people feel may have let them down in the past - especially in terms of money," said James Benamor, managing director of Amigo.

"Family and friends are some of Britain's most trusted, and in times of hardship, many would rather turn to those they know best and can rely on for support."