How can the Scottish Government win back trust?

Trust in the Scottish Government has plummeted to just 47% from 61% in 2019, according to the latest Scottish Social Attitudes Survey. 

The level is twice as high as trust in the UK Government but it is still the lowest level on record, with Scots particularly dissatisfied with the running of the NHS and living standards.

Experts have said placing more emphasis on the founding principles of the Scottish Parliament – which include openness and accountability – will be key to rebuilding the trust lost as well as governments on both sides of the Border working to build a less combative relationship than has existed in years gone by.

Where did the trust go? 

Dr Paul Anderson, a politics lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University who has published a book on Scottish and Catalan independence, said the trust people had in the Scottish Government has disintegrated partly because of incidents of “perceived corruption” as well as ideological divides within the SNP.

“It is a global phenomenon that nowadays people do have less trust in politicians and I think there is a general feeling – particularly in the UK and mostly directed at Westminster – of perceived corruption,” said Anderson. 

“There is this perception and evidence that people in positions of power don’t think the rules apply to them.

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“When we’re looking at things specific to Scotland, I think there’s two aspects to look at. One is scandal, and there have been issues over the last few years that have dented people’s trust in the Scottish Government, not least Operation Branchform and again, perceived corruption.

“I think also with the SNP, the divides in the party and the Government over policy and agenda [have sparked a lack of trust].” 

Anderson added that given the SNP have been in power for 17 years, there will likely be a sense of fatigue creeping in with the Government having to work to defend a record people are increasingly unimpressed by.

The survey showed that less than a quarter of Scots are satisfied with how the NHS is being run – down from 64% in 2019 – while a whopping 83% feel living standards have fallen in the last year.

“The survey suggests trust in the NHS has dramatically decreased, and with health being devolved, the Scottish Government is responsible for that,” Anderson added.

“Now it can say we need more money from Westminster, and there’s merit to that of course, but it is still the face of it.”

Dr Coree Brown Swan, a politics expert at the University of Stirling, added: “We've seen the same policy challenges as elsewhere in the United Kingdom – with NHS wait times, concerns about educational results, cost of living.  

“This has been coupled with concerns about the integrity of members of the Scottish Government – notably the ongoing inquiry into SNP finances – in addition to a general perception of a government in disarray. These may all have an effect on people's trust.”

How can the Scottish Government rebuild bridges?

The founding principles of the Scottish Parliament are openness, accountability, the sharing of power and equal opportunities and experts believe ministers need to show these remain the core values of the Government if they want to see trust levels return to where they were.

Although they were in a period not covered by the survey, the likes of the Michael Matheson's iPad saga and the deletion of WhatsApps during the Covid pandemic are incidents where the integrity of the Government has come into question, along with the SNP finances investigation which has been ongoing since 2021.  

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Former health secretary Matheson racked up an £11,000 data roaming bill on a parliamentary iPad while on holiday which he initially claimed on expenses before offering to pay for it himself when the bill was unearthed and he admitted his sons had used it as a hotspot to watch football.

He was docked 54 days’ pay and suspended from the Scottish Parliament for 27 days following a review.

Meanwhile, the UK Covid Inquiry earlier this year revealed ministers had deleted key WhatsApp messages during the pandemic, leading then first minister Humza Yousaf to insist “we should have done better”.

Anderson said: “The key thing here is about transparency because that’s connected to these problems around perceived corruption or perceived wrongdoing and people trying to hide things.

“The founding principles of the Scottish Parliament were around openness. I think it needs to be a return to being a bit more transparent on how things are done, who is lobbying the government, who the government is having chats with. It needs to demonstrate as well that it cares about integrity and put a bit more effort into these things.

Experts believe the Scottish and UK Governments need to work to develop a less combative relationship (Image: Scott Heppell/PA Wire)

“It’s not comparable to Westminster but I just think it needs to be a bit more open with the public.”

Swan added: “I think it's a matter of transparency, addressing some of the issues that have plagued previous leaders, speaking directly and transparently with the population.

“Some of this is beyond the control of the Scottish Government, but a fresh start, a focus on core priorities, and a more constructive relationship with the UK Government may help.”

Improving cross-border relations

There is also recognition that both the Scottish and UK governments need to make an effort to mend relations after a hostile few years following Brexit. 

Anderson said the splintering of the relationship has come largely as a result of "muscular Unionism" from the previous Tory government, but both governments need to play their part in trying to heal wounds. 

He said: “There’s a lot of warm words flying around at the moment [about resetting relations] but that needs to translate into political reality.

“We have a complex system of devolution now where powers are shared like welfare. They need to work together to soften those edges between the policy clashes.

“The onus is on both sides. With the Tories there was a lot of muscular Unionism and that’s going to change I think. But the onus is on both sides to work together when it's in the interests of the country.

“There’s a big challenge for Keir Starmer and Labour to try and increase their standing in Scotland because we’ve had quite a combative period of Conservative rule with some good moments – because the independence referendum was agreed and it was all amicable – but then post-Brexit we’ve seen big clashes."

Parliamentary Business Minister Jamie Hepburn told the Sunday National that the Government was committed to transparency.

He said: “We are committed to improving the lives of the people of Scotland and building trust in our institutions. We know that Scotland’s economy and funding for our public services have been put under pressure as a consequence of decisions such as austerity and Brexit, and we are doing everything we can to reform and improve the public services which we all rely on.

“The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring openness and transparency and as a member of Open Government Partnership we work with civil society partners to deliver actions aimed at increasing transparency, accountability and finding ways for people to be more involved in government decision-making.

“We look forward to working collaboratively with the UK Government to make a difference to people’s lives, delivering progress for the benefit of people in Scotland.”