Policy wins ‘overshadowed’ by scandals in shaping view on Scottish Government, according to polling

Scandals like the investigation into the SNP’s finances and Scotland’s drug deaths are among the incidents that have “overshadowed” the policy wins that have shaped Scots’ views on the Scottish Government, according to new polling by More in Common.  

Policies such as free bus travel for under-22s and abolishing prescription charges also scored well in terms of issues Scots had heard about, but a “wider cluster” of well-known moments has negatively impacted Scots view of the government.  

The number one incident was Police Scotland’s investigation into the SNP’s finances, which led to the former chief executive of the party and estranged husband of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Peter Murrell, being charged with embezzlement.  

Eighty-one per cent of Scots said they had heard a great deal or a bit about it, and 57 per cent said it reflected badly on the Scottish Government.

The nation’s drug deaths, which are at the highest rate in Europe, are close behind, with seven in 10 (72 per cent) saying they had heard about it. Seventy per cent said the statistics reflected badly on the government.

There are a number of public opinion wins, such as free bus travel for under-22s, which is known by 80 per cent of Scots, as well as free prescriptions, which nearly three quarters of Scots (73 per cent) have heard about, with 70 per cent of those people for it and only eight per cent against.  

However, the polling describes “a wider cluster of high-awareness missteps”. These include 71 per cent of Scots having heard about NHS waiting lists reaching record levels, with 56 per cent saying that reflects badly on the Scottish Government.  

Around two-thirds said they had heard about the Edinburgh tramline cost and time overrun (66 per cent), the Isla Bryson prison scandal (66 per cent), the Gender Recognition Reform Bill (66 per cent) and the ferries contract mismanagement (65 per cent). Of these, the ferries contract and Edinburgh trams are particularly negative - 60 per cent and 62 per cent respectively said they reflected badly on the government.

The scandal dubbed ‘iPad-gate’, which involved an £11,000 data roaming bill on the health secretary Michael Matheson’s iPad, later linked to a family using it to watch a football match, is known by 63 per cent of Scots, while 68 per cent view it negatively.