I have been listening to people in focus groups since the late 1980s and I cannot recall a time when the national mood was more despairing. “Broken”, “sad”, “worried”, “angry”– the negatives tumble out, as does the long list of grievances.

I’m hearing anxieties voiced in a way I haven’t heard since the 1990s: a rundown NHS, job insecurity, teacher shortages. Seven out of 10 feel pessimistic about homelessness, 68% are gloomy about rising poverty, and a staggering one in five think it likely that they, or someone close, will be a victim of violent crime in the next year. This rises to almost a third in London.

We’re a deeply divided nation, too – and nearly three-quarters of us expect that to get worse in the year ahead. Forty-eight per cent self-identify as a “have-not” while 52% see themselves as a “have”. We’re torn apart by social class, by geography, and by how we vote – especially on Brexit.

The starkest divide, though, is age: 52% of over-65s feel optimistic about the future of the UK, contrasting with just 23% of under-34s.

Younger people feel a strong sense of injustice. Home ownership seems a pipe dream, even for the relatively well off. Secure employment can be elusive for them too, despite many being far better qualified than their parents and grandparents.

But our survey suggests they shouldn’t hope for sympathy. Many in the older generation dismiss them as “liberal snowflakes” who waste cash on “avocado toast and flat whites”, then waste away weekends “watching screens”. Seventy-eight per cent of over-45s and 82% of those over 65 believe British values are in decline, and many see young people as the cause: “They just don’t have the same values we do – or the respect that we had.”

Their verdict? Politicians are 'totally useless', 'clueless' or 'unbelievably poor'

Where the nation can agree is that we probably can’t expect politicians to lead us out of this mess. Trust has long been in short supply. Ipsos Mori’s “veracity index” shows that just 19% believe politicians tell the truth – unchanged since 1983. What’s happening now is different, and potentially much more damaging: voters have lost faith in politicians’ ability to govern competently. Our focus groups, regardless of how they voted, felt the scales fall from their eyes as they watched “them” grapple with Brexit. One told me: “It’s like we’ve all woken up.”

Their verdict? Politicians are “totally useless”, “clueless” or “unbelievably poor”. Seventy-four per cent conclude that our political system is no longer fit for purpose, and 83% feel let down by the entire political establishment. Just 6% believe politicians understand them.

Some of this is tragic, some cringe-making – “in the last two years there have been so many political problems it’s an embarrassment to be a UK citizen” said one, explaining why 73% think that our once-proud nation is currently “seen as a laughing-stock by the rest of the world”.

There are a few crumbs of comfort. While pessimism about Britain is palpable, just over half feel optimistic about their local area, and two-thirds are optimistic about their personal lives – and this is true for voters of all ages. Many feel that, whatever happens on the national stage, British character will win out: 69% agree that “British people will just get on with things regardless of the impact of Brexit”.

But the cloud of uncertainty hangs heavily. Voters long for a leader to map a clear route through. One observed: “We seem to be stumbling along a crooked path and not towards a target.” Eighty-six per cent say the “UK needs a strong leader now more than ever before’” Meanwhile, perhaps in a triumph of hope over experience, voters are watching the Tory leadership battle very carefully. The bar is set high.

Deborah Mattinson is founder director of research and strategy consultancy BritainThinks