Scots lack confidence in SNP's business policies, poll suggests

Scots lack confidence in the SNP Government’s business policies, a new poll suggests.

A Survation poll for True North Advisors found just 36 per cent of respondents agreed that the Scottish Government has the right policies in place to make Scotland a competitive place to do business.

A total of 42 per cent said the opposite, and 22 per cent did not know.

Scottish Financial Enterprise said public-private partnerships could kickstart economic growth | LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images

Meanwhile, almost half (48 per cent) of Scots supported utilising private investment in major government infrastructure projects, with just 14 per cent opposed.

Norway recently confirmed it is building Rogfast - the world’s longest undersea tunnel – having secured private investment to cover 60 per cent of the project’s £1.6 billion cost.

Scottish Financial Enterprise (SFE) said public-private partnerships could not only kickstart economic growth but make the country a more attractive place to invest and create jobs.

Sandy Begbie, chief executive of SFE, said: “We know that the state of Scotland’s infrastructure is an increasing concern, both to communities across the country but also among potential investors in our economy.

“It is therefore no surprise to see clear public support for the use of private capital to deliver the improvements our creaking infrastructure needs.

“The reality is that only by harnessing Scotland’s expertise in sustainable investment that the Scottish Government will be able to deliver the infrastructure spending our economy and society clearly needs.

“As the record-breaking Rogfast project in Norway shows, when government and business work in partnership it can deliver hugely ambitious results. This has the potential to both develop our infrastructure and stimulate further jobs and investment in our economy.

“Given so many people believe the Scottish Government does not have the right policies in place to make Scotland a competitive place to business, we need to work more closely to foster the partnerships and mechanisms that will deliver improvements in our infrastructure and sustained economic growth.

“There is also a clear need for government – both Scottish and UK – to improve policy alignment behind the overall ambition of driving investment and growth.”

Survation polled 1,024 adults in Scotland between January 7 and 13.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Attracting private investment is a key part of our approach to delivering economic growth and jobs, and Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes is leading on this work.

“As part of a programme to attract investment in net zero, housing and infrastructure, we are committing up to £500 million over five years to boost private investment in the offshore wind supply chain by up to £1.5 billion.

“We are seeing major investment into sectors like battery energy storage systems, with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners recently announcing investment of £800 million into the largest projects in Europe.”

Last year, Ms Forbes said increasing the level of private investment in Scotland’s economy “is essential to our ambitions – for growth, for jobs, for reaching net-zero, and for improving our public services”.

She added: “Without investment and the growth it can catalyse, we can achieve none of those goals.

“I will be working to tackle barriers and blockers; and to ensure that the system as a whole works cohesively, effectively, and quickly, to support investors and to deal with issues as and when they arise.”