Public trust in the Scottish Government to work in the country’s best interests has fallen, according to a new survey.
Official figures taken from a regular survey of public opinion, conducted in September and October last year during Humza Yousaf’s tenure as first minister, show the percentage who said they trust the Scottish Government “just about always” or “most of the time” fell to 47%, down from 66% in 2021. The figure in 2019 was 61%.
The Scottish Social Attitudes Survey, published in the Times today, has been conducted most years since the advent of devolution in 1999. It asks a representative sample of people the same questions each time.
The latest report shows trust in the UK Government to work in Scotland’s best interests remains lower than the figure for the Edinburgh administration, as it has done since the survey was launched, albeit trust in the UK government has risen from 15% in 2019 to 21% in 2023.
The weighted sample of 1,574 people aged over 16 in Scotland were also asked how good the governments at Holyrood and Westminster were at listening to the public before making decisions.
The percentage of people who thought the Scottish government was “very good” or “quite good” at listening to people’s views before taking decisions fell from 51% in 2019 to 35% in 2023. It has declined from its peak of 59% in 2015.
The equivalent figure for the UK government also fell, from 15% in 2019 to 12% in 2023.
However, the Scottish Government pointed to the survey’s finding that 50% of Scots believe ministers should redistribute income to the least well-off.
Jamie Hepburn, the parliamentary business minister, said: “The survey demonstrates continued support for the redistribution of wealth and an increasing desire among people to see the economy grow.
“This aligns with the Scottish government’s commitments and how we are working hard to provide support to those who need it most."