More than half (54 percent) of people in Scotland believe they do not get value for money from public services, despite having the highest income tax burden in the UK.
According to a new poll for strategic advisory firm True North, just over a quarter (28 percent) of people believe the level of personal tax in Scotland provides value for money in public services.
As part of the same survey, which was undertaken by Survation, more than half (51 percent) of people in Scotland thought the Scottish Government does not have the right policies in place to make Scotland a competitive place to do business. In contrast, less than one in three people (29 percent) thought it did have the right policies in place to make Scotland competitive.
The poll results come ahead of the Programme for Government – where the First Minister will set out his priorities for the coming year – and amid increasing calls from across business and industry for the Scottish Government to prioritise sustainable economic growth.
Commenting on the findings, Andrew Liddle, Senior Advisor, True North, said: “Scotland’s workers have the highest income tax burden in the UK, but these figures show most people think they are paying more and getting less.
“Meanwhile, far from helping businesses to thrive, more than half of people in Scotland believe Scottish Government policy is making the country uncompetitive.
“Ahead of the Programme for Government, ministers should heed these findings and work constructively with business to deliver sustainable, inclusive economic growth for Scotland.”
