New Diffley Partnership Poll for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Published

With the next Scottish Parliament election just a few months away, it is more important than ever to understand the reasons why people across Scotland so often feel disconnected or pessimistic about our political system.

Diffley Partnership were recently commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation to conduct a nationwide poll investigating the link between political disaffection and economic insecurity in Scotland.

Our poll for JRF found that:

• Nearly half (47%) of all adults in Scotland are feeling worried about their family’s economic security,
• Around a quarter of Scots (26%) are not confident that they would be able to pay an unexpected cost or bill of £200 in the next seven days,
• Three in ten (30%) are worried about their current levels of debt

In terms of measures that would best support households to feel more economically secure, lower cost of everyday essentials like groceries and energy (55%) and higher pay (34%) were the most frequently selected options.

Additionally, the survey found high rates of political disaffection across Scotland:

• Three-quarters of respondents (73%) agree that politicians care more about their party than the people they represent,
• Two-thirds (64%) say that politicians do not listen to the concerns of people like them,
• Four in ten (43%) do not see political decisions having a positive impact in their community

There is a strong sense that the lack of positive impacts persists regardless of the outcomes of elections, with more than seven in ten respondents (71%) saying that even when politicians change, they see no progress.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s further analysis unpacked the interaction between political disaffection and economic security, suggesting that worries over household finances may be a driving force behind political discontent. The JRF’s published findings can be found here: Tackling economic insecurity could be key to rebuilding trust in Scottish politics | Joseph Rowntree Foundation