General Election 2015: Priorities for Scotland

ECONOMIC PRIORITIES

Public spending and the deficit

Base: 1,042 Scottish adults aged 18+, 19th - 25th March 2015

1

Source: Ipsos MORI Political Monitor

19%

23%

39%

49%

22%

30%

29%

29%

58%

44%

28%

20%

Highest priority (7-10) Medium priority (5-6) Lowest priority (1-4)

Increase spending on public services even if it means the deficit doesn’t get eliminated

by the end of the next Parliament in 2020

Reduce the amount the government borrows by cutting

spending rather than increasing taxes

Eliminate the deficit by the end of the next Parliament in 2020

even if it means reduced spending on public services

Reduce taxes even if that means cutting public services

PLEASE GIVE EACH POLICY A SCORE BETWEEN 1 AND 10, WHERE 1 MEANS THAT YOU THINK IT SHOULD NEVER BE PUT IN PLACE AND 10 MEANS THAT IT IS VERY IMPORTANT AND SHOULD BE PUT IN PLACE QUICKLY

Mean

score

6.31

5.70

4.61

4.03

Pensions and benefits


2 PLEASE GIVE EACH POLICY A SCORE BETWEEN 1 AND 10, WHERE 1 MEANS THAT YOU THINK IT SHOULD NEVER BE PUT IN PLACE AND 10 MEANS THAT IT IS VERY IMPORTANT AND SHOULD BE PUT IN PLACE QUICKLY


38%

51%

78%

22%

22%

15%

39%

25%

8%


Charge better-off older people for things which are currently

free to all order people

Guarantee that old age pensions will rise over the next

five years

Put a cap on the total amount paid in welfare benefits to a

household

Mean

score

5.18

7.93

6.28

Cost of living




66%

69%

73%

80%

18%

13%

13%

13%

14%

16%

13%

7%


Increase the minimum wage for those aged 21 and over

from £6.50 to £7.85 per hour

Stop energy companies from increasing prices for 20

months

Increase the top rate of tax to 50p in the pound for those

earning more than £150,000 per year

Introduce a tax on homes worth more than £2million,

commonly known as the Mansion Tax

Mean

score

8.16

7.73

7.19

7.40

IMPORTANT ISSUES

Personal data


1


72% 14% 13%


Ensure authorities cannot access personal data unless an individual is suspected of

taking part in an illegal activity


Mean

score

7.64

Powers for the Scottish Parliament




57%

60%

64%

69%

15%

14%

13%

13%

26%

24%

21%

19%


Give the Scottish Parliament the power to increase benefits

and old age pensions

Give the Scottish Parliament full control of income tax

Give the Scottish Parliament control of all areas of policy

apart from Defence and Foreign Affairs

Give the Scottish Parliament full control over welfare

benefits

Mean

score

7.29

6.83

6.54

7.06

Immigration


3


52%

58%

18%

15%

30%

26%


Stop immigrants from the rest of the EU from claiming

welfare benefits until they have been in the UK for at least 4

years

Impose a limit on the number of people coming to live in the

UK


Mean

score

6.78

6.33

Railways


4


52% 23% 22%


Bring the railways into public ownership


Mean

score

6.46

Defence


5


23%

45%

18%

28%

56%

25%


Increase the amount spent on the armed forces

Renew and upgrade Trident, Britain’s nuclear deterrent


Mean

score

6.15

4.01

Referendums


6


48%

50%

10%

17%

42%

31%


Hold a referendum to ask people whether they wish to

stay in or leave the European Union

Hold another referendum on Scottish independence within

the next five years


Mean

score

6.08

5.63

Technical details

7

This presents the topline results from Scotland.

Results are based on a survey of 1,042 respondents (adults aged 18+) conducted by

telephone.

Fieldwork dates: 19th-25th March 2015.

Data are weighted by: age, sex and working status using census data; tenure using SHS

data; and public-private sector employment using Scottish Government Quarterly Public

Sector Employment series data.

Where results do not sum to 100%, this may be due to computer rounding, multiple

responses, or the exclusion of “don’t know” categories.

Results are based on all respondents (1,042) unless otherwise stated.

Contact us: Mark Diffley: [email protected];

Ciaran Mulholland: [email protected];

David Myers: [email protected]

0131 220 5699

mailto:[email protected]



General Election 2015: Priorities for Scotland

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