Poll: Scots critical of SNP's record but 'little enthusiasm' for alternative

Scots are critical of the SNP’s record in government but show “little enthusiasm” for the alternatives, a new poll has found.

An Ipsos Scotland Political Pulse survey found three times as many respondents said SNP ministers had done a bad job of improving the NHS since the 2021 Holyrood elections as said they had done a good job.

The public are more negative than positive about the Scottish Government’s performance across a range of policy areas, including managing the economy, education, improving living standards and setting the right level of income tax.

However, there is no consensus on whether Labour would do any better at governing, and favourability ratings for Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer have both fallen to their lowest level since October 2022.

First Minister John Swinney and his deputy Kate Forbes are the least unpopular politicians in Scotland.

Three in ten (30 per cent) have a favourable opinion of Mr Swinney, while 38 per cent view him unfavourably. Similarly, 27 per cent have a favourable opinion of Ms Forbes, with 35 per cent saying they have an unfavourable view of her.

In contrast, more than twice as many Scots have an unfavourable opinion of Mr Sarwar (42 per cent) as have a favourable opinion of him (19 per cent), and more than half (53 per cent) hold an unfavourable opinion of Sir Keir, while just 21 per cent have a favourable view of him.

Emily Gray, managing director of Ipsos Scotland, said: “Fourteen months out from the next Holyrood elections, these findings suggest the Scottish public is broadly negative about the SNP’s record in government but showing little enthusiasm for the alternatives.

“Favourability towards both Anas Sarwar and Scottish Labour has fallen compared with six months ago, signalling an increasingly difficult climate of opinion for Labour in Scotland.

“While the First Minister’s ratings are the least worst of any of the Scottish party leaders’, the public’s critical view of his government’s record on public services and the economy should give him particular cause for concern – as these are typically among the top issues that matter to Scottish voters.”

Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 1,025 adults aged 16 and over across Scotland. Interviews were conducted online between February 21 and 26.