31 January 2022

The Coalition for Global Prosperity has conducted polling into the attitudes of adults across Scotland towards UK foreign policy, attitudes towards Global Britain and the role of Scotland in foreign affairs. The poll was conducted in November 2021 and included 1000 adults from each region of Scotland. The polling was conducted in the week after the conclusion of the COP26 Summit in Glasgow which saw Scotland projected around the world as the world’s leaders arrived for this incredibly important meeting.

Our polling found that 45.9% of Scottish adults polled felt fairly informed about foreign affairs of the United Kingdom, 34% fairly uninformed, 9.9% very uninformed and 10.2% very informed. When asked which foreign policy issues were most important when shaping their views, participants were very split - 28.1% highlighted climate change, 19.6% said defence and security, 18.9% said international trade with 10.2% saying that international aid, poverty alleviation and disaster relief were most important to them.

When asked about the UK’s responsibility to provide international development, 37.6% said the UK has a moral duty to provide aid, 10.9% said it was a practical use of money and 28.7% feel that we have both a moral duty and a practical use of money to spend on UK aid.

As the poll was conducted in the week following COP, we asked Scottish adults how the feel that the Summit had impacted the UK’s reputation on the world. 41% of all adults polled said the conference had a net positive effect on the UK’s reputations with only 13% suggesting it had a negative impact.

Our poll also looked into how those questions saw Scotland best being able to cooperate with other countries. 44% said that Scotland would be best as part of the UK with 38% who believed Scotland would be best as an independent nation.

You can see a the main polling summary in the slides below.

Polling was conducted between 15th-17th November 2021. Sample: 1,179 Scottish Adults from each region of Scotland.