Economic insecurity and political disaffection go 'hand-in-hand´,...

Economic insecurity is driving political disaffection as people are left feeling "overlooked" by politicians, according to new research.

A survey for anti-poverty charity the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) found that 41% of economically insecure Scots are also politically disaffected, with the figure rising to 52% of the very economically insecure.

The Diffley Partnership poll of more than 3,000 people in Scotland also found that 47% of adults described themselves as economically insecure, meaning they are worried about their family's financial security.

More than one in five (22%) said they feel very economically insecure and just over seven in ten (72%) of this group said they are not confident they could pay an unexpected cost of £200 in the next week and/or cover essentials such as food and energy.

Bold action is needed to reshape Scotland's economic and political systems

The JRF described the findings as "a wake-up call for political parties as they enter the election to commit to investing in policies that will improve living standards".

Chris Birt, Joseph Rowntree Foundation associate director for Scotland, said: "These findings show that people are really worried about their day-to-day finances, with many not even sure they can cover the cost of essential things like food and energy.

"At the same time, people are feeling overlooked by politicians, with levels of disaffection and mistrust worryingly high as we head towards the Holyrood election.

"But crucially, people are not withdrawing from politics altogether, and are keen to use their vote in May so it has the maximum impact.

"They want to see a lower cost of living, higher pay for the lowest-paid workers, and investment in affordable and good quality social housing.

"It is now up to Scotland's parties to outline what they will do to win over these voters, improving their living standards and repairing their trust in politics.

"Make no mistake: bold action is needed to reshape Scotland's economic and political systems. It's an opportunity our politicians can't let slip by."

The research found that economic insecurity and political disaffection "go hand-in-hand".

Of those feeling both economically insecure and politically disaffected, 16% said they had not decided who they were going to vote for in the forthcoming Scottish Parliament election, the survey found.

When asked what would improve their economic security and feelings about politics, the economically insecure and politically disaffected group highlighted three key policies, with lowering the cost of essentials the top priority (77%).

This was followed by higher pay (43%) and improved pension or retirement savings (30%).

The survey of 3,052 adults was carried out on behalf of JRF by the Diffley Partnership in November 2025.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: "We are doing all we can within our powers to reduce living costs and support households that are struggling.

"Set against a backdrop of constrained resources and rising demand for public services, our draft Budget for 2026-27 allocates almost £68 billion to secure a fair, healthy, safe, prosperous and green society for the Scottish people.

"It continues to offer people in Scotland the best cost-of-living package available across the UK and includes £7.2 billion in social security assistance in 2026-27 - an increase of around £460 million from the previous year.

"This will support around two million people in Scotland and help keep children out of poverty, support disabled people and their carers and help pensioners with winter heating payments.

"It also provides over £16 million in free-to-access income maximisation, welfare and debt advice services to ensure that people can access the support they are entitled to and prioritises support for families, backed up by new investments designed to remove additional costs while supporting participation in sport, healthy eating and enabling parents to work."