Wellbeing of people in Scotland not improving – Devolution alone won’t restore trust says Carnegie UK

Life in Scotland did not improve between 2023 and 2024 for the average person, according to new research from Dunfermline-based Carnegie UK based on two surveys each of more than 1100 people.

The report makes the case for governments in Edinburgh and London to work together to tackle inequality and boost the collective wellbeing of the people of Scotland. With 2024 marking 25 years of devolution in Scotland, the report also argues that government in Scotland should deploy initiatives such as citizens’ juries to regain trust in politics.

Carnegie’s Life in the UK Index measures the wellbeing of the people of the UK by examining answers to questions across social, environmental, economic, and democratic themes. Now in its second year, the 2024 index – produced with Ipsos – shows no statistically significant improvement across any of its headline measures for people in Scotland, in common with the rest of the UK.

Carnegie UK is a public policy foundation focussed on improving people’s wellbeing. The foundation argues that improving people’s lives should be the overarching aim of government.

Sarah Davidson, chief executive of Carnegie UK, said: “Our new report paints a picture of Scotland as a place where too many people don’t have their basic needs met and there’s widespread distrust of politics and government.

“While Scotland performs no worse than the rest of the UK, the situation isn’t improving. That’s why we’re urging governments in Edinburgh and London to measure the things that matter to people – like job opportunities and community safety. We then want policymakers to put this information about our wellbeing at the centre of their decisions.”

For a second year running, the research identifies groups in society with particularly low levels of wellbeing. These include people on lower incomes, disabled people and people between the ages of 16 and 34.

Furthermore, the survey work found that a fifth of the Scottish public (19%) feel unsafe in their neighbourhood after dark, three in ten (31%) can’t afford an unexpected expense of £850 and 15 per cent can’t afford to keep their home adequately warm.

Sarah Davidson said: “Two years in a row, our research shows high levels of inequality across Scottish society, with worrying numbers of people reporting they can’t afford to heat their home, meet an unexpected expense or feel safe in their neighbourhood.

“In 2024 it is unacceptable that so many live in such precarious circumstances. While these problems won’t be solved overnight, it is the job of government to address them systematically and drive improvement. Scotland used to be a global leader in wellbeing public policy – the Scottish Government needs to regain lost ground.”

In a similar pattern to 2023, the 2024 polling also found widespread distrust in the UK’s political systems and institutions. The survey work – conducted in May 2024 at the point that John Swinney was appointed First Minister – found that almost three quarters (77%) of people in Scotland feel that they cannot influence decisions that affect the UK, while about three fifths (63%) disagree that they can influence decisions affecting Scotland.

Three fifths (60%) of the Scottish public in 2024 have low levels of trust in the UK Government, according to the research, while two fifths (37%) have low levels of trust in the Scottish Government and about a third (31%) have low levels of trust in local authorities.

Professor John Curtice, Professor of Practice Politics at the University of Strathclyde, said: “Across the UK levels of trust and confidence in how we are governed are as low as they have ever been.  And although those at Holyrood come out better than those at Westminster, there are still questions to be asked about how successful the devolution project has been in helping to improve people’s sense of involvement in their political process. Our politicians not only have to address the many policy challenges that face the country, but also persuade voters that they have its best interests at heart.”

Sarah Davidson said: “After a quarter century of devolution, only a minority of people in Scotland feel they have any say over the decisions that affect their lives. Our democratic wellbeing is in trouble. There’s a rift between the people and our politics at every level of our system.

“To address this problem, we’re making the case to Scotland’s governments and decision-makers to roll out more participative models of democracy, like citizen juries and panels. Our research shows that if these initiatives are well-designed, they can boost trust while providing legitimacy to government action.”