Falling public confidence in government poses increasing threat to democracy

Unhappiness with Scotland’s mainstream parties could lead to a disastrous lurch towards Reform UK

Last July, Labour won a landslide general election victory based on just over a third of the vote, while the Conservatives slumped to their worst result in the party’s history. Keir Starmer’s victory was more about the Tories’ unpopularity than anything else.

Since then, even that fairly lacklustre level of support for Labour has dwindled to below 25 per cent in polls, while the Tories’ popularity has flatlined.

Now new figures show the public’s net satisfaction with the Scottish Government fell from minus six per cent in 2023 to minus 13 per cent last year, according to an MRP poll – a statistical modelling technique used by pollsters – based on a sample of some 10,000 people.

Keir Starmer and John Swinney do not have much to smile about (Picture: Scott Heppell/WPA pool) | Getty Images

Rising support for Reform UK

While the SNP remain Scotland’s most popular party, they are currently polling around just over 30 per cent. So it’s fair to say that what have been the main three parties in Scotland are not exactly setting the heather alight in terms of inspiring the public.

The main beneficiary has been Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party with polls showing rising levels of support in both Scotland and the UK as a whole.

The problem is that their policies, such as they are, have little to do with the real-world problems which are causing so much angst among the public. For example, dramatically reducing immigration would damage the economy and make the UK’s situation even worse.

If the current worrying trend continues, the loss of faith in mainstream politicians could ultimately lead to a loss of faith in democracy itself. This means it is increasingly important for both the SNP and Labour to start showing the benefits that a democratically elected government can bring.

John Swinney may have patched some of the holes in the nationalists’ leaky ship since becoming First Minister, but the underlying causes of public discontent – the appalling state of the NHS, education, social care and other public services – remain. Labour face similar problems, but seem to be making more progress, having realised that greater efficiency in government is required.

Amid global turmoil and the rise of hard-right and far-right parties, our governments must do better.