Parties' plans lack the 'right level of ambition' for Scotland, poll finds

Less than 4 in 10 voters think parties’ plans show the “right level of ambition” for the next Scottish government going into the Scottish Parliament election.

The new Survation poll for campaign organisation 38 Degrees found that only 37 per cent of voters agreed with the statement “Political parties in Scotland have plans that show the right level of ambition in their use of Holyrood’s new powers”.

However, there was disagreement about whether parties were being too ambitious or not ambitious enough.

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Twenty-eight per cent felt that political parties are not being ambitious enough in their proposed use of Holyrood’s new powers, while 22 per cent felt that parties’ plans “are too ambitious in their use of Holyrood’s new powers”.

Fourteen per cent said they weren’t sure.

The poll of over 2,000 Scottish voters found that 58 per cent understand that the next Scottish parliament will have more powers than it does now, with 29 per cent believing the parliament's powers will stay the same and five per cent believing it would have fewer powers.

A majority of voters, 71 per cent, believe that the new powers will make the next Scottish Parliament more accountable to Scottish voters than ever before, according to the poll.

The same percentage, 71 per cent, somewhat or strongly agreed that “New powers to the Scottish parliament means that Scottish politicians should blame Westminster politicians less about issues that Scotland now has the power to change”.

Stewart Kirkpatrick, Head of Scotland at 38 Degrees, said: “This polls shows the huge public appetite for more ambitious plans for Scotland than any of the political parties have to offer.

“In our thousands, 38 Degrees members across Scotland are telling candidates what we want to see from them - whether that’s securing and improving our NHS services, helping put a stop to the dodgy trade deal TTIP or saying a permanent ‘no’ to fracking in Scotland.

“They can be sure that our energies and expectations will only rise after May 5.”