Nicola Sturgeon hits the road as poll suggests Scots are losing faith in SNP’s handling of public services Survey suggests that Scots are losing faith in the Scottish Government’s ability to manage the NHS, schools and the justice system

Nicola Sturgeon has embarked on a week-long general election tour of Scotland as a poll suggested that public confidence in the SNP‘s handling of key public services is falling away.

The First Minister set off on a yellow zero-emissions bus branded with the slogan “Stop Brexit”, warning that time is running out to prevent the Conservatives returning to power.

With a week to go until the election, she issued an appeal to supporters of rival parties, arguing they should “come together…to make sure that our future is not determined by Boris Johnson“.

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However, the start of her trip was overshadowed by a survey which suggested that Scots are losing faith in the Scottish Government‘s ability to manage the NHS, schools and the justice system.

YouGov survey

The YouGov poll found that most people (52 per cent) now believe the health service is being handled badly by SNP ministers, while only 40 per cent think it is being managed well.

On education, almost half (48 per cent) said they thought the issue was being handled poorly, while only 40 per cent thought the reverse. For justice, the figures were 44 per cent to 38 per cent.

The results mean each issue now has net negative ratings, with health on -12, education on -8 and justice on -6. When the questions were last asked in April, positive ratings were returned for all.

Polling expert Sir John Curtice said the findings suggested that the Scottish electorate was becoming “somewhat dubious” about the SNP’s domestic record on key issues.

However, he pointed out that the ratings were similar to those the party received ahead of 2017’s snap election, when it still won 35 of Scotland’s 59 Westminster seats.

More important in 2021

“That said, the electorate is more critical of the SNP’s record than it was at the time of the last Scottish Parliament election in 2016,” he told the Times newspaper, which commissioned the poll.

“The poll is thus a warning to the SNP that the party may well have work to do to convince voters that it should be granted another term when the next Scottish Parliament election comes around.”

Earlier in the day Ms Sturgeon was challenged on her government’s record during First Minister’s Questions, with Labour leader Richard Leonard calling for her to apologise.

Nicola Sturgeon promised more investment and “essential reforms” to public services, saying she believed Scots would continue to “put their trust in the SNP…to get on with the job”.

Responding to the poll’s findings, SNP depute leader Keith Brown pointed out that separate research showed public satisfaction rates with schools and the NHS were overwhelmingly positive.

“Despite the challenges and huge pressures faced by teachers, doctors and nurses, we have some of the best performing services in the UK,” he added.