- New polling for the UPP Foundation sheds light on the public’s domestic priorities following the election
- People who live in Scotland among the most positive about their local area
- Access to NHS, cost of housing, and declining high streets are seen as the biggest challenges
- People are positive about the role universities can play in their area, but awareness is limited, and almost a third of people in Scotland have never visited their local university
- By over a 4.1 ratio, people from Scotland would prefer that graduates return to their local area after graduation – by far the most in the UK
New polling for the UPP Foundation, the registered charity founded by University Partnerships Programme (UPP), carried out by Public First, shows a stark divide between the various communities in Britain as to how they feel their local areas have fared over their time living there.
At a time when much political attention is being given to how to ‘level up’ areas of the country that have fared less well in recent years, the polling shows a great divide between how different parts of their country see their everyday lives.
A divided Britain – and the view from Scotland
There are sharp differences in how people view their community by the type of area they live in, by their age, and by their financial circumstances.
- Across Britain, while 30% of people who live in cities say that their local area has improved (39% the same, 25% worse), this figure decreases to 22% of those who live in large towns, and only 17% for those who live in small towns – almost half of the figure for those who live in cities.
- Across Britain, younger people are the most positive. 31% of those aged 18-24 believe their local area has improved (38% think it is the same, 21% has got worse), but only 26% of 35-44 year olds, and 14% of 55-64 year olds – fewer than half as many seeing improvement as the 18-24s.
- Scottish residents are among the more positive, with 25% of residents thinking their area has improved during the time they have been living there – and only 18% say it has got worse. (Nationally, respondents in London, Scotland, and Wales are most likely to feel that their local areas had improved in recent years, and those in the East of England, East Midlands, and the South East are the most likely to believe there has been decline.
Priorities for improving their local area
With the new government making bold statements about regional infrastructure, transport links such as HS2, and relocating major civic institutions such as the House of Lords to ‘level up’ across the country, this polling also sheds light on the public’s real priorities for improvement in their area.
When asked about their various priorities for improving their local area, people across Scotland thought that:
- 56% of people thought that high streets in decline was one of the most important issues in Scotland – the second highest in the UK after the North East
- 44% of voters stated that access to local NHS services was a key priority
- 48% said the cost of housing was one of the most important issues
These are going to be important issues to many voters – and their new MPs – in the coming years.
Effectiveness of civic institutions in improving local areas
Although voters across Scotland are familiar with the local civic and other institutions active in their local area, they have typically low levels of satisfaction with how well they are performing to improve a local area.
- Local MPs / MSPs – 22% of respondents think they’re doing a good job for their local area
- Local government / council – 21%
- Local businesses – 30%
- Local cultural institutions (museums, galleries etc) – 39%
- Local universities – 44%
- Local sports clubs and teams – 34%
- Local hospitals – 37%
- Local charities – 37%
The role of universities in improving local areas
Universities have been increasingly focussed on the role they can play in their local area in recent years. Despite the expansion of higher education, the public’s overall awareness of the 19 universities across Scotland – who between them educate over 240,000 undergraduates a year is relatively low, but people are optimistic about their potential.
- Almost a third of people (31%) have never visited their local university in Scotland
- 44% of people in Scotland think that the universities are doing a good job to improve the local area
- 65% of respondents in Scotland want universities to play a greater role in their local economy, and 53% of the public agree that universities can and should be involved in the delivery of government services in a local area.
One of the issues often raised in policy debates is whether it is better that graduates return to their home communities after studying, or whether it is better if they migrate to the UK’s larger cities. This research shows that by an over a 4:1 majority – 50% to 12% – people in Scotland would prefer graduates to return to their local area after studying.
The polling was conducted as part of a project looking at the role of universities, as part of their civic responsibilities, to help address the government’s levelling-up agenda. A final report will be published in the Spring.
Richard Brabner, Director of UPP Foundation said: “Our post-election polling points to a divided Britain and underlines the need for the government to double down on its focus on towns to help ‘level up the country’. But although Scotland has its own government for many areas, the Westminster Parliament and Scottish MPs, and MSPs, will need to think about how to improve Scotland as well as other areas in Britain.
“Organisations embedded in their communities will be key to revitalising areas across Scotland. Local institutions and civil society should be supported by government to deliver this agenda.
“Taking the higher education sector as an example, it is clear that there’s a real appetite amongst universities to support ‘left behind’ places in their regions, and the public is extremely positive about the role universities could play too.
“However, with a third of people having never visited their local university in Scotland, there is much for our sector to do to engage all parts of our society.
“To grow trust and support, universities should be particularly focussed on demonstrating their public value to areas which do not benefit from having a university on their doorstep.”