Majority of Scots lose faith in Edinburgh and London to ‘work in Scotland’s best long-term interests’ showing record low trust in the Scottish Parliament and Government
July may be one of the worst ever for the SNP following a devastating indictment of the party at the ballot box in the general election and now the Scottish Government’s Social Attitudes Survey 2023 has provided more bad news.
It shows that for the first time a majority of Scots no longer believe the Scottish Government is working in Scotland’s best long-term interests – trust in Westminster has always been much lower but is beginning to improve.
The Scottish Social Attitudes Survey (SSAS) traced attitudes in 2023, the previous comparable study was last undertaken in 2019 since when trust in the Scottish Government has plummeted.
Attitudes in 2023 showed that just 47 per cent of people “trusted the government to work in Scotland’s best interests” – down from 61 per cent in 2019 and is now “at its lowest level since the survey began.”
It was even lower for the UK government at 21 per cent – though that has “consistently remained lower” than Holyrood – though that does represent a rise from 15 per cent.
Those numbers pre-date new Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s time in office but First Minister John Swinney was central to the Scottish Government for much of the last decade and will now have to live with the hangover of the lowering trust.
The figures are potentially damaging for both the Scottish Parliament and Government as the trust in both in various categories fell below 50 per cent in many for the first time.
Now just 45 per cent of people think the Scottish Parliament – designed to increase democracy – “gives ordinary people more say in how Scotland is governed” – that is down from 56 per cent.
Attitudes in 2023 showed that just 47 per cent of people “trusted the government to work in Scotland’s best interests” – down from 61 per cent in 2019 and is now “at its lowest level since the survey began.”
It was even lower for the UK government at 21 per cent – though that has “consistently remained lower” than Holyrood – though that number does represent a rise from 15 per cent.
The survey said just 35 per cent thought the Scottish Government was good at listening to people’s views before taking decisions, which is down from 16 per cent, while just 12 per cent felt Westminster listened before taking decisions, down from 15 per cent.
In what is a challenge for Westminster, 46 per cent of people thought that the UK Government has the most influence over the way Scotland is run, compared to 43 per cent who thought the Scottish Government has the most influence.
The UK as a whole has experienced a difficult period in its politics that has been marked by controversial decision-making and leaders in both Edinburgh and London mired in scandal.
