How have Scots' opinions on the UK and Scottish Governments changed in the last nine years?

While trust in the Scottish Government to work in the country's best long-term interests has risen in the latest survey, it has not surpassed a 2015 peak. 

In 2021/22, 66 per cent of Scots just about always or most of the time trusted the Scottish Government with the task. 

However, there has also been a trend of increase in the number of Scots who almost never trust this Government, reaching 11% in the most recent survey. 

 

Meanwhile, trust in the UK Government to work in Scotland's best interests reached a nine-year low. 

Almost half of Scots (46%) almost never trust it to work in the long-term best interests of those north of the Border. 

When it comes to making fair decisions, there has been a considerable increase in the number of people who do not at all trust the UK Government to make fair decisions. 

In 2013, only 11% of Scots did not trust the UK Government in this regard, but this has continued to rise over the past years and reached 30% in 2021/22. 

However, only 6% of the respondents had the same level of distrust in the Scottish Government. In fact, the number of Scots who had a great deal of trust in the Government to make fair decisions tripled since the last survey in 2019. 

 

When respondents were asked to choose what the Scottish Government's top priority should be, the three most commonly selected categories were to improve standards of education (21%), reduce inequality (19%) and improve the economy (18%). 

While education and the economy have commonly been selected as the main priority, reducing inequality has seen a considerable leap in popularity.

There has been a considerable increase in the number of people who do not think the UK Government is at all good at listening to the public's view before taking decisions since 2013. 

In 2021/22, a staggering 40% of people said the UK Government was not at all good at listening. 

From 2013 to 2019, this category hovered between 24% and 33%. 

When asked the same question about the Scottish Government, 17% thought it was not at all good at listening to the public's views. This is the highest the figure has been since 2013.

However, more than half of those surveyed (58%) thought the Scottish Government was either very good or quite good at listening. 

The data also showed there had been a rise in people who thought the Scottish Government has the most influence over how Scotland is run.

A total of 59% of people thought it had the most influence - an increase of 19% since 2019 or 29% since 2013. 

Meanwhile, in the most recent survey, less people thought Westminister had the most say in how Scotland was run. 

The thoughts on which body ought to have the most influence has not changed significantly in recent years, but those stating the Scottish Government should have the most influence has overall increased since 2013. 

More Scots now believe that Holyrood is giving ordinary people more of a say in how Scotland is governed. 

 

In the most recent survey, the majority of people thought that Holyrood is giving Scotland a stronger voice in the UK, reaching 64%.