‘Most Scots don’t trust Scottish Government to work in their best interest’

Trust in Scotland’s public institutions is in free fall, a study has suggested, after figures revealed most Scots do not trust the Scottish Government to work in their best interest.

The Scottish Social Attitudes Survey found that only 47% of people trusted the Government at Holyrood to work in Scotland’s best interest most of the time – down from 61% in 2019.

When asked, 11% said they trusted the Government in this area “just about always”, 36% “most of the time”, 33% said “only some of the time” and 19% said “almost never”.

The number of Scots satisfied with the way the NHS is run has also collapsed, with only 23% of those surveyed happy with the service, while 52% saying they are dissatisfied.

The figure represents a dramatic fall from 2019 when 64% of Scots said they were satisfied with the way the National Health Service is run.

The study found trust in the UK Government had grown but remains at less than half the leels of trust in the Scottish Government.

Only 21% of Scots said they trusted Westminster to work in Scotland’s long-term interest, up from 15% in 2019.

The Scottish Social Attitudes Survey (SSAS) has been conducted annually (with the exception of 2008, 2012, 2014, 2018 and 2020) by the independent research organisation ScotCen since the advent of devolution in 1999.

It’s aim is to gather nationally representative data on the social and political views of the Scottish public.

In 2023, the SSAS run as a push-to-web survey for the first time – and limited questions to covering government, the standard of living, the NHS, taxation and spending.

It ran from September 13 to October 31 and had a sample size of 1,574 people aged over 16 in Scotland.

Vast majority of Scots say health and standard of living is going down

The Scottish Social Attitudes Survey painted a bleak picture for Scots’ views on health and the standard of living.

The study found 83% of people thought the general standard of living had fallen over the previous year, which is an increase from 2019 when half of people (50%) thought the standard of living had fallen.

Some 23% of people said they were satisfied with the way in which the NHS runs, compared to 52% who were dissatisfied.

The NHS satisfaction level has fallen from 64% in 2019, and 2023 is the first year since 2005 where more people were dissatisfied than satisfied with the way the NHS runs.

And 69% of people thought the standard of the health service had fallen over the previous 12 months, which is an increase from 45% of people in 2019.

2023 is the first year since 2005 where more people were dissatisfied than satisfied with the way the NHS is run.

Nearly half want taxes raised to invest in public services

The survey found nearly half of Scots (47%) were in favour of taxes being increased to invest in health, education and social benefits.

Some 38% of respondents said they would rather see taxes kept at the same levels with the same amount of cash spent on public services.

Only 12% said they would like to see taxes reduced and spending to be cut on health, education and benefits.

More to follow.

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