Voters in Scotland go to the polls on May 5th in the most significant Holyrood election since the new devolved parliament was established in 1999. This election is the first to take place since the new powers, including for setting income tax levels, were transferred to Holyrood following the recently enacted Scotland Act. These new responsibilities mean that the parties have taken positions on some issues for the first time in a Holyrood election and will mean that issues of tax and welfare will be central to the campaign. Our new poll provides clues about the priorities of voters as they weigh up their decisions ahead of the election.

1. March 2016
SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT
ELECTION PRIORITIES

2. TAX AND WELFARE

3. Income tax
Base: 1,002 Scottish adults aged 16+, 18th - 29th March 2016
1
Source: Ipsos MORI
36%
50%
53%
69%
29%
21%
23%
14%
33%
28%
23%
17%
Highest priority (7-10) Medium priority (5-6) Lowest priority (1-4)
Increase the top rate of income tax for
those earning more than £150,000 a
year from 45p to 50p
Keep the rate of income tax for
people in Scotland at the same level
as for people in England
Increase all rates of income tax in
Scotland by 1p in the pound and
spend the money raised on schools
and colleges
Keep the income level at which people
in Scotland begin to pay the higher 40p
rate of income tax at £42,385, even if
people in the rest of the UK only start
paying the 40p rate on higher incomes
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
7.27
6.53
6.16
5.32

4. Council tax
Base: 1,002 Scottish adults aged 16+, 18th - 29th March 2016
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
36%
53%
23%
21%
40%
26%
Highest priority (7-10) Medium priority (5-6) Lowest priority (1-4)
Increase all rates of council
tax by up to three per cent
and spend the money raised
on schools
Increase council tax for those
living in more expensive
homes in Scotland
Mean
score
5.11
6.19

5. Welfare
Base: 1,002 Scottish adults aged 16+, 18th - 29th March 2016
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
52%
68%
27%
19%
21%
13%
Highest priority (7-10) Medium priority (5-6) Lowest priority (1-4)
Give those who care for people
with disabilities in Scotland more
in benefits than those elsewhere
in the UK
Increase the level of free childcare
for 3 and 4 year olds from fifteen
to thirty hours a week in order to
help parents go back to work
Mean
score
6.42
7.32

6. OTHER ISSUES

7. Health
Base: 1,002 Scottish adults aged 16+, 18th - 29th March 2016
4PLEASE 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
37%
82%
26%
11%
37%
6%
Highest priority (7-10) Medium priority (5-6) Lowest priority (1-4)
Introduce charges for
prescriptions for those of working
age in order to raise money for
the NHS
Guarantee that for the next five
years spending on the NHS in
Scotland will be increased by at
least the same rate as spending
on health in England
Mean
score
5.29
8.34

8. Education
5
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
60%
78%
22%
12%
18%
10%
Highest priority (7-10) Medium priority (5-6) Lowest priority (1-4)
Give schools with high
numbers of children from
poorer backgrounds more
money to spend than other
schools
Allow all students from
Scotland to attend Scottish
universities for free
Mean
score
Base: 1,002 Scottish adults aged 16+, 18th - 29th March 2016 Source: Ipsos MORI
8.10
6.72

9. Fracking
6PLEASE 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
48% 21% 29%
Highest priority (7-10) Medium priority (5-6) Lowest priority (1-4)
Ban all drilling for shale gas,
known as fracking, in
Scotland
Mean
score
6.17
Base: 1,002 Scottish adults aged 16+, 18th - 29th March 2016 Source: Ipsos MORI

10. Constitution
7PLEASE 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
47% 10% 42%
Highest priority (7-10) Medium priority (5-6) Lowest priority (1-4)
Hold another referendum on
Scottish independence if
Britain votes to leave the
European Union
Mean
score
5.57
Base: 1,002 Scottish adults aged 16+, 18th - 29th March 2016 Source: Ipsos MORI

11. Transport
8PLEASE 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
45% 27% 27%
Highest priority (7-10) Medium priority (5-6) Lowest priority (1-4)
Reduce the tax on aeroplane
tickets in Scotland
Mean
score
6.05
Base: 1,002 Scottish adults aged 16+, 18th - 29th March 2016 Source: Ipsos MORI

12. Environment
9PLEASE 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
74% 16% 9%
Highest priority (7-10) Medium priority (5-6) Lowest priority (1-4)
Subsidise the cost of
developing new sources of
energy that are less harmful
to the environment
Mean
score
7.65
Base: 1,002 Scottish adults aged 16+, 18th - 29th March 2016 Source: Ipsos MORI

13. Farming
10PLEASE 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
39% 29% 32%
Highest priority (7-10) Medium priority (5-6) Lowest priority (1-4)
Ban farmers in Scotland from
growing genetically modified
foods.
Mean
score
5.67
Base: 1,002 Scottish adults aged 16+, 18th - 29th March 2016 Source: Ipsos MORI

14. Housing
11PLEASE 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
56% 21% 23%
Highest priority (7-10) Medium priority (5-6) Lowest priority (1-4)
Give first time home buyers
who have saved £3000 an
extra £3000 towards their
deposit
Mean
score
6.53
Base: 1,002 Scottish adults aged 16+, 18th - 29th March 2016 Source: Ipsos MORI

15. Crime
`12PLEASE 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
35% 16% 48%
Highest priority (7-10) Medium priority (5-6) Lowest priority (1-4)
Scrap the ban on people at
football matches singing
songs that some people find
offensive.
Mean
score
4.88
Base: 1,002 Scottish adults aged 16+, 18th - 29th March 2016 Source: Ipsos MORI

16. Technical details
13
This presents the topline results from Scotland.
Results are based on a survey of 1,002 respondents (adults aged 16+) conducted by
telephone.
Fieldwork dates: 18th-29th March 2016.
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 (1,002) unless otherwise stated.
Contact us: Mark Diffley: mark.diffley@ipsos.com
Ciaran Mulholland: ciaran.mulholland@ipsos.com
Sanah Saeed Zubairi: Sanah.Zubairi@ipsos.com

17. March 2016
SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT
ELECTION PRIORITIES