The document presents survey results from 1,042 Scottish adults regarding their priorities for public spending, the economic deficit, pensions, cost of living, and various policy measures, conducted by Ipsos Mori in March 2015. Key findings include a majority favoring increased public spending on services and higher minimum wages, alongside preferences for greater powers for the Scottish Parliament. Issues surrounding immigration, defences, and referendums are also explored, with significant interest in policies addressing personal data privacy and welfare benefits for the elderly.

2. ECONOMIC PRIORITIES

3. 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

4. Pensions and benefits
Base: 1,042 Scottish adults aged 18+, 19th - 25th March 2015
2PLEASE 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
Source: Ipsos MORI Political Monitor
38%
51%
78%
22%
22%
15%
39%
25%
8%
Highest priority (7-10) Medium priority (5-6) Lowest priority (1-4)
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

5. Cost of living
Base: 1,042 Scottish adults aged 18+, 19th - 25th March 2015
3PLEASE 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
Source: Ipsos MORI Political Monitor
66%
69%
73%
80%
18%
13%
13%
13%
14%
16%
13%
7%
Highest priority (7-10) Medium priority (5-6) Lowest priority (1-4)
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

6. IMPORTANT
ISSUES

7. Personal data
Base: 1,042 Scottish adults aged 18+, 19th - 25th March 2015
1
Source: Ipsos MORI Political Monitor
72% 14% 13%
Highest priority (7-10) Medium priority (5-6) Lowest priority (1-4)
Ensure authorities cannot
access personal data unless
an individual is suspected of
taking part in an illegal activity
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
7.64

8. Powers for the Scottish Parliament
Base: 1,042 Scottish adults aged 18+, 19th - 25th March 2015
2PLEASE 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
Source: Ipsos MORI Political Monitor
57%
60%
64%
69%
15%
14%
13%
13%
26%
24%
21%
19%
Highest priority (7-10) Medium priority (5-6) Lowest priority (1-4)
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

9. Immigration
Base: 1,042 Scottish adults aged 18+, 19th - 25th March 2015
3
Source: Ipsos MORI Political Monitor
52%
58%
18%
15%
30%
26%
Highest priority (7-10) Medium priority (5-6) Lowest priority (1-4)
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
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
6.78
6.33

10. Railways
Base: 1,042 Scottish adults aged 18+, 19th - 25th March 2015
4
Source: Ipsos MORI Political Monitor
52% 23% 22%
Highest priority (7-10) Medium priority (5-6) Lowest priority (1-4)
Bring the railways into public
ownership
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
6.46

11. Defence
Base: 1,042 Scottish adults aged 18+, 19th - 25th March 2015
5
Source: Ipsos MORI Political Monitor
23%
45%
18%
28%
56%
25%
Highest priority (7-10) Medium priority (5-6) Lowest priority (1-4)
Increase the amount spent on
the armed forces
Renew and upgrade Trident,
Britain’s nuclear deterrent
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
6.15
4.01

12. Referendums
Base: 1,042 Scottish adults aged 18+, 19th - 25th March 2015
6
Source: Ipsos MORI Political Monitor
48%
50%
10%
17%
42%
31%
Highest priority (7-10) Medium priority (5-6) Lowest priority (1-4)
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
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
6.08
5.63

13. 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: mark.diffley@ipsos.com;
Ciaran Mulholland: ciaran.mulholland@ipsos.com;
David Myers: david.myers@ipsos.com
0131 220 5699