EVEN people in England think Nicola Sturgeon has done a better job than Boris Johnson during the coronavirus crisis, according to an “incredible” new poll.
The YouGov research, commissioned by YesCymru, showed that just 41% think the UK Government has dealt with the pandemic very well or fairly well, with 53% saying it had done a poor job.
In stark contrast, English people have been far more impressed by the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Some 57% of respondents believe Sturgeon’s government has performed well, compared to just 19% who thought it had managed the pandemic poorly.
Half of those surveyed say the Welsh administration has performed well, with only 17% giving it a negative rating.
Stormont also compared favourably to Westminster, receiving a 45% approval rating, with 13% saying it has done poorly.
READ MORE: Scotland needs more powers to tackle coronavirus crisis, report says
Political scientist Dr Dafydd Trystan commented: “The results from England on the comparative performance of the four governments of the UK are quite remarkable. While electors take an unfavourable view of the UK government’s approach to COVID, net -12, their view of the other governments of the UK is far more favourable.
“The Northern Ireland Executive has a rating of +32%, the Welsh government +33% and Nicola Sturgeon’s Scottish government records a remarkably positive score of +39%.
“These ratings are underpinned by the fact that Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat voters alike rate positively the effective record of the Celtic governments in comparison to the apparent failures of Boris Johnson in England.”
The YouGov study of 1384 adults in England was carried out on 17 and 18 June.
YesCymru chairman Sion Jobbins said the results exposed the Union’s flaws.
“These numbers are incredible and show people in England are now aware of devolution in a way they weren’t before,” he said. “And they like what they see in Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast and they definitely don’t like what they see in Westminster.
“The Covid-19 crisis has dramatically shown the flaws in the centralised Westminster style of government and it’s time that we have a proper debate about the future of the Union.
“The Union is letting down the people of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and people in England know it, the Westminster establishment has been found out.”
READ MORE: Support for Yes up as middle classes switch from No side
SNP depute leader Keith Brown added: "This poll shows a clear majority of people in England support the Scottish Government's handling of the Covid-19 crisis – and support in Scotland is even higher.
“In stark contrast, people across the UK have lost confidence in how Boris Johnson has communicated during the pandemic, and are understandably concerned about his ability to lead the country out of this crisis.
"In Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has made clear the Scottish Government will continue to take cautious, steady route out of lockdown and monitor the impact of each step – recognising that the virus hasn't gone away and significant risks still exist.
"By doing this, we are making progress in preventing an increased risk of infection and are helping to save lives.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel