survey finds scots increasingly tolerant Majority feel everything possible should be done to get rid of prejudices

Scotland is becoming a more tolerant place, according to new research that shows prejudice against many groups is falling.

Figures from the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey 2015 show 69% of people feel Scotland should do everything possible to get rid of all kinds of prejudice.

The proportion of people who feel sometimes there is a good reason to be prejudiced fell from 28% in 2010 to 22%.

Over the same period there was a drop in those who said they would prefer to live in an area where most people were similar to them, from 43% to 33%.

There was also an increase, from 33% to 40%, in those who agree people from outside Britain who come to live in Scotland make the country a better place.

The figures reveal concern about the impact of immigration on the labour market, with 30% agreeing that eastern European migrants “take jobs away from other people in Scotland” and 26% thinking the same for people from ethnic minorities.

Attitudes to same-sex relationships have continued to improve, with 59% agreeing such relationships are “not wrong at all”, up from 50% in 2010.

While equality campaigners welcomed the findings, concern was raised over prejudice towards some groups, with 31% saying they would be unhappy about a close relative marrying or forming a long-term relationship with a Gypsy Traveller and 19% with someone who experiences depression.

Equalities Secretary Angela Constance said: “These figures show clearly that Scotland is becoming a more tolerant place and therefore a better place to live for us all.

“That is good news and we can be proud of the progress we have made.”

Picture: Dougie Nicolson. 40% of Scots believe people from outside the UK who make their home in Scotland make the country a better place.