VOTERS in Scotland and England approve of Nicola Sturgeon’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic more than Boris Johnson’s, a new poll has shown.
A Panelbase survey, commissioned by Business for Scotland, asked 1026 respondents how well the First Minister and Prime Minister had handled the crisis.
Some 74% of Scots felt the SNP leader had done a good job – while 49% of people in England agreed. Just 21% of Scots felt she had done a bad job, while 18% of people in England said the same.
Meanwhile a tiny 12% of Scots think Johnson has handled the pandemic well. South of the border, that figure is 42%.
READ MORE: EU: 63% of Scots want to rejoin, Panelbase poll finds
Here in Scotland 61% say the Tory leader has handled the crisis poorly. However in England people are more evenly split, with 39% of respondents there saying he has done a bad job.
The study follows a succession of polls indicating Sturgeon’s approval ratings have increased during the pandemic, while Johnson’s have fallen sharply. It also comes after two consecutive polls placing support for independence at 54%.
Writing on the results, Business For Scotland said: “The First Minister’s humanity and obvious care for the wellbeing of the nation is allowing those voters who have other issues with Westminster’s obsession with Brexit and their right-wing economic policies to believe that the Scottish Government is a safer pair of hands in a time of crisis.
“That leads to increased belief in the overall competence of the Scottish Government and makes it easier to switch to Yes.”
In Scotland Nicola Sturgeon’s COVID-19 response is met with 74% support and only 21% that she is doing a bad job. It’s worth noting that 21% is roughly how many people also say they will vote Conservative in the next Holyrood elections. https://t.co/tjYX4uyJF8 pic.twitter.com/QxS8PB8JB3
— BusinessforScotland (@BizforScotland) July 10, 2020
The body argues that the First Minister’s performance during the crisis is not the sole reason for that increase in support. The Brexit issue is a huge factor too, while economic concerns and Westminster’s rejection of a Section 30 order appear to play a role.
Business for Scotland also polled people in England and Scotland on their views on rejoining the EU.
They found 63% of Scots would vote to rejoin the bloc if given the option in a referendum – a slightly higher majority than the 62% that voted to Remain in 2016.
Meanwhile the poll found people in England would vote to stay out of the EU by 52% to 48%.
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