Exclusive:NHS and cost of living to 'define' Holyrood election, survey shows
Economic pessimism has eased slightly, but financial strain is still widespread
Almost a third of Scots say money worries are affecting their mental health as a new survey shows the NHS and the cost of living will “define” the upcoming Holyrood election.
Around half (48 per cent) of voters named healthcare and the NHS as a top priority, while 43 per cent pointed to the cost of living and inflation, up five points since November.
Meanwhile, almost a quarter (23 per cent) said immigration is a top issue.
The results form part of the latest Understanding Scotland Economy Tracker, commissioned by the David Hume Institute and produced by the Diffley Partnership. A total of 2,131 Scots aged 16 or over were surveyed online between February 1 and 4.
The survey found confidence in the economic system remains “strikingly low”.
READ MORE: 'Salmond files' finally published, as Scottish Government makes thousands of documents public
More than two in every three Scots (71 per cent) believe the economy primarily works in the interests of wealthy people. Just 8 per cent think it works for them personally and 7 per cent believe it works for most people.
Financial strain is widespread. Just over half of Scots (52 per cent) report they have recently cut non-essential spending, while three in ten (31 per cent) say money worries are affecting their mental health.
However, the survey indicates economic pessimism has eased slightly. Around three in five (62 per cent) of those who expressed an opinion said the economy has worsened over the past year, down seven points since November.
Two in five (41 per cent) said their personal finances have deteriorated, down six points, and 66 per cent expect economic conditions to worsen in the year ahead, down from nearly 73 per cent previously.
Scott Edgar, a senior research manager at the Diffley Partnership, said: “As we move into the election campaign, voters are sending a very clear signal: the NHS and the cost of living will define this contest.
“Even though pessimism about the economy has eased slightly, people are still feeling real pressure in their day‑to‑day lives.
“Any party seeking to win trust in May will have to demonstrate not only that they understand these pressures, but that they have credible plans to address them.”
Susan Murray, director of the David Hume Institute, said: “There are tentative signs of improvement but confidence in the economic system itself remains strikingly low. Very few people believe the economy works for them — or for most other people.
“With more than one in four people losing sleep over their finances and one in five people saying money worries are making them less effective at work, there is still a long way to go to tackle the low wage, precarious work that is undermining the economy and the nation’s resilience.
“The challenge for policymakers is not only easing immediate pressures for individuals and businesses, but rebuilding faith that Scotland’s economy can deliver fairness and opportunity more widely as we transition to new industries and ways of living.”
SNP MSP Paul McLennan said his party is “relentlessly focused on improving our NHS and helping people with the cost of living”.
He said: “This week, our budget will deliver record investment in our NHS and build upon the best cost of living support package available anywhere on these islands.
“Our plan for the NHS is working – waiting times are falling, procedure and operation numbers are up, and this week we announced the locations of 15 more GP walk-in centres across the country, creating over a million new appointments.”
Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said the survey “chimes with what we hear on the doorsteps”.
She added: “It is clear that the public want a government that will prioritise restoring our NHS and that will tackle cost of living pressures. That is why they are both key priorities in our election campaign.
“[Scottish Labour leader] Anas Sarwar is a former NHS dentist and so fixing the health service is a personal mission to him. Cutting waiting lists would be a day-one priority for a Scottish Labour government, by using capacity wherever it is available and embracing new technology to help ease the pressure on hardworking staff.
“We have also set out our intention to cut income tax in Scotland as we believe the tax burden is far too high – with people being asked to pay more and getting less.”
Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said: “It’s a damning verdict on the SNP’s two decades in office that the economy and our NHS remain such a worry for many.
“Hard-working Scots struggling with the cost of living are being hammered by John Swinney’s endless tax rises. They’re paying more and getting less.
“Our NHS is in crisis – waiting times remain unacceptable and cancer targets haven’t been met for more than a decade.
“Scots are being failed by this SNP government, yet the other Holyrood parties won’t oppose their budget plans or bloated benefits bill.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat election campaign chair Wendy Chamberlain said: "There is no doubt that the cost of living and the state of the NHS are the top two issues that are coming up on doorsteps. If people elect more Scottish Liberal Democrat MSPs they will get more elected representatives focused on these issues.
"We are putting forward fully-costed plans to help get access to GPs, dentists and mental health professionals when you need them and measures that will reduce energy bills and put more money into people's pockets.”
Scottish Greens co-leader Gillian Mackay said: “We totally understand and hear the concerns people are having heading into this election. For so many people and their families, it is a daunting prospect that the NHS is crumbling, that household bills are too high, and nothing seems to be changing.
“Building a fairer and healthier Scotland that works for everyone has always been at the core of our work as Greens. It is why we introduced free bus travel for under 22’s, why we expanded free school meals and scrapped millions of pounds of school meal debt for families.
“We know that we can go even further and improve our public services so that they work for people, instead of stripping them back and expecting people to survive with less and less each year.”
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.