Half of Scots see those who disagree on Covid as threat to country’s future

·         Community spirit dwindles as Scotland battles through final stretch of full lockdown – Covid disagreements lead to suspicion of neighbours  

·         Rifts over rules fuel mental health problems, from anxiety to trouble sleeping 

·         But 31% of people in Scotland still say it’s made them realise the importance of community 

·         Engage Britain launches national drive to bring communities together and put people in charge of tackling the country’s problems, including community conversations in Glasgow.  

New analysis has revealed a fractious and fearful nation battling through the final stretch of lockdown, as 60% of people in Scotland say those who disagree on the Covid rules are a threat to the country’s future.  

As new charity Engage Britain launches a national drive to help bring communities back together and put people in charge of tackling Britain’s biggest problems, it polled people in Scotland on how different views on Covid, such as taking the vaccine or lockdown restrictions, are impacting them.  

As the prolonged pandemic piles on the pressure, the community spirit people in Scotland summoned at the outset shows signs of fading. According to the poll, nearly as many Scottish residents said they’ve become more suspicious of people in their community with a different approach to the rules (23%), as those who think their community is pulling together (26%).  

And disagreements are directly fuelling mental and emotional problems for most Scottish residents (61%), who agreed their mental health had been affected due to other people’s compliance with the rules and restrictions. Some of these problems included increased anxiety (38%) and trouble sleeping (20%). 

But despite fractures and strains, 31% believe the pandemic has made them realise the importance of community. And ordinary people coming together in Covid’s wake will be crucial to our future success, according to Engage Britain.  

As communities in Scotland and across the country look to rebuild, the charity is launching a national drive to bring together people from all walks of life, drawing on different views and experiences to find answers to Britain’s biggest problems. The first issue ordinary people will tackle is their biggest worry – health and care.  

Following Engage Britain’s comprehensive analysis with the British public this consistently came out as people’s number one concern. Their biggest issues are getting the right access to health and care services and funding them properly.  

It will kick off with 100 online community conversations about health and care up and down the country, including discussions in Scotland planned for Glasgow. Then a panel of ordinary people will make decisions about priorities and engage with professionals like doctors, carers and nurses, to make plans for change. The end goal will be to get the public’s plans put into practice so everyone can get the health and care they need. 

Engage Britain Director, Julian McCrae, said: “The pandemic is piling a mountain of pressure onto people in Scotland, following huge changes which have already split families and communities across the whole of Britain.

“It’s desperately sad to see this causing anxiety, suspicion and sleepless nights for so many of us.  

“This could be a dangerous moment, if we don’t find a way to pull together. With so much at stake and things feeling out of our control, it’s hard to see past the stress of disagreements – but they can actually make us stronger.

“As we recover from this crisis, the public needs to have more of a say in the things that matter to them, using their different views, ideas and experiences to rebuild Britain.  

“For too long we’ve relied on our political system to make decisions which affect the lives of millions, but which are all too often taken without talking to them about it. No-one knows more than ordinary people what it’s like to live in Britain today.

“That’s why we’re asking people from all walks of life to come together and have their say on how to make life better for everyone after some of the toughest times our country’s ever faced.” 

Anyone can make their voice heard on how to build better health and care in Britain by taking part in an open conversation at engagebritain.org