Scotland's Main Election Issues Explored Through Six Charts
The Scottish Parliament election on 7 May will decide who is responsible for delivering critical public services such as health and education over the next five years.
Understanding the issues that voters prioritize is essential. To this end, the BBC commissioned polling firm Savanta to survey voters on the most important challenges facing Scotland today.
The poll assessed perceptions of how the country is performing on these issues and explored potential solutions. It also gathered opinions on independence and EU rejoining, topics to be discussed in detail on Tuesday.
Three Key Topics Dominate Voters' Concerns
Three main issues stand out among voters: the economy, particularly the cost of living; health and social care; and immigration.
Just over 60% of Scottish voters identify the cost of living as one of their top three concerns. Approximately 30% also include the broader economy in their top three issues.
Health and social care feature in the top three for about half of respondents, while immigration is cited by around 30%.
No other topic exceeds 20% mention, though housing and poverty lead among the remaining concerns.
Older voters and women are more likely to prioritize health and social care, whereas younger voters emphasize housing. Immigration is notably a key issue for Reform party supporters in the 2024 election.
Only 13% of voters place the question of Scotland’s status within the UK among their top three issues, though this rises to 31% among 2024 SNP voters.
Overall, voters appear focused on fundamental "bread and butter" issues.
Voters Perceive Decline but Differ on Responsibility
More than half of those surveyed believe the economic situation has worsened over the past year. Similarly, about half feel the NHS has deteriorated.
A critical question in May will be which government voters hold accountable. The poll reveals significant disagreement on whether the devolved Scottish government, the UK government, or both are responsible.
As expected, voters are more inclined to blame the Scottish government for the state of the health service than for the economy.
In both cases, just over one-third of respondents attribute responsibility to both governments.
Political affiliation heavily influences these views. For example, 2024 Conservative voters, whose party has never governed at Holyrood, are especially likely to blame the Scottish government.
Conversely, SNP supporters, with the party in power since 2007, tend to hold the UK government responsible, particularly if they perceive recent deterioration.
Immigration Remains a Divisive Issue
On immigration, 44% of Scottish voters believe migrants positively contribute to the country, while 30% view them negatively.
Meanwhile, 48% feel Scotland needs fewer migrants, compared to 17% who think more migrants are needed.
Political divisions are stark: Reform and Conservative voters in 2024 are more likely to view migrants from outside the UK as harmful, whereas Labour, Liberal Democrat, and especially SNP voters hold the opposite view.
Taxation and Spending Views Lack Consensus
Funding for devolved public services comes partly from the UK government and partly from Scottish taxes.
Just over half (51%) of voters believe Scotland receives less than its fair share of UK government spending.
However, there is notable reluctance to allow the Scottish government to use its income tax powers to set rates higher than those in England.
The Scottish government controls all earned income tax rates and has raised rates for higher earners.
Only 15% of respondents support higher income tax rates, while 30% favor lower rates.
Voters are slightly more inclined to prefer the Scottish government reducing taxes and spending (27%) than increasing them (22%). The most common response (47%) is that income tax rates should match those in England.
More than half of Conservative, Labour, and Liberal Democrat supporters favor parity in income tax rates, a view shared by 40% of nationalist voters.
The Scottish government also has extensive welfare benefit powers and has sometimes provided more generous benefits than England.
While 28% believe spending should be higher than in England and 16% think it should be lower, 48% prefer spending to remain the same.
Should Scotland Diverge from the Rest of the UK?
Nationalist supporters are somewhat more open to divergence in tax and spending policies than unionist party supporters.
Despite over 25 years of devolution, there remains widespread voter reluctance to accept differences in taxes and spending compared to England.
The poll also reveals limited public support for some distinctive Scottish government policies.
The Scottish government opposes new oil and gas developments in the North Sea and new nuclear power stations north of the border.
However, nearly half (47%) of Scots support allowing energy companies to explore new oil and gas sources. Only 21% oppose, and 24% neither support nor oppose. Among 2024 SNP voters, 49% support and 23% oppose.
Regarding nuclear power, 23% oppose new stations in Scotland, 39% support them, and 25% neither support nor oppose. Among SNP voters, opponents (37%) slightly outnumber supporters (33%).
This poll serves as a reminder that winning the election is only the first step; securing public backing for policies will be an ongoing challenge.
