Arabic version: القضايا الرئيسية المحددة قبل انتخابات اسكتلندا وويلز

Voters will go to the polls on 7 May in elections for the Scottish and Welsh parliaments. According to BBC News, a recent poll has highlighted three primary issues that will influence voter decisions: the economy, health and social care services, and immigration.

The state of the economy, including above all the cost of living, ranks as the foremost concern among voters. Additionally, the performance of health and social care services is a significant issue, especially among older voters and women. Immigration, while a concern particularly for those who voted Reform at the last election, is also important to a broader segment of the electorate.

Concerns regarding the economy and health services are prevalent, with well over half of respondents in both nations reporting a deterioration in these areas over the past year. While a majority believe that having migrants from outside the UK has been good for their country, around half feel their country now needs fewer migrants coming from abroad to live here.

Interestingly, despite dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs, voters do not uniformly blame their devolved governments. In fact, more than two-thirds attribute economic issues to the UK government, and around half do the same for health services, despite these being managed by devolved authorities.

Both the Scottish and Welsh governments possess the ability to adjust income tax rates to address financial challenges, yet there is a notable reluctance among voters to deviate from the tax and spending policies in England. This sentiment is echoed even among supporters of nationalist parties, highlighting a complex relationship between devolved governance and Westminster’s influence.