With just two weeks to go until Scotland heads to the polls, the campaigns are in full swing – manifestos have been launched, party leaders have faced off in TV debates, letter boxes have been clogged up with leaflets exhorting us to put our X in their boxes on the purple and peach ballot papers.  So how is the public reacting to what they have seen so far?

The main impression from our latest Ipsos polling is that they are a bit scunnered. While the proportion who say they are paying ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ close attention to coverage of the election has jumped from 59% in March to 69% in our latest poll (conducted 10-20 April), the electorate does not appear particularly impressed by any of the parties or leaders. For all six of the larger parties standing, on balance, more people have an unfavourable than a favourable view of them (a ‘net negative’ rating). Similarly, none of the party leaders receive a positive rating, though John Swinney and the SNP come closest, each with a net rating of -1. 

Reform UK’s Malcolm Offord, meanwhile, is the only Scottish party leader to see his favourability ratings fall. In March, 51% had an unfavourable view of him. By our April poll, which took place after news stories about a homophobic joke he made at a rugby club dinner, this had increased to 56%. Reform UK’s rating in Scotland has also dipped. On the basis of this poll, at least, the more the Scottish public has seen of Reform UK’s offering for Scotland, the less impressed they........

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