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While the post was made on her personal page, University of Essex professor of government Paul Whiteley said politicians had to be careful using social media.

Asked about the latest regarding Nagano's future in May, interim manager Amber Whiteley said: "Progress is still ongoing with Fuka and that is the same with a couple of others."

Paul Whiteley, emeritus professor of government at the University of Essex, who authored the 2011 study that Dr Shepherd and his team later revisited, points to a separate research project about values and beliefs, conducted by social scientists, which found much less of a change over the years in answers to certain questions about honesty.

That separate study also indicates that "cheating on taxes and accepting bribes has become more unacceptable", argues Prof Whiteley.

As for the future, Prof Whiteley speculates the UK may be about to become somewhat less honest.