Scotland more united after pandemic made people pull together
Scotland has pulled together during the pandemic and become a more united nation, new research has revealed.
A study from Talk/together – a coalition of groups seeking to find out what unites or divides people across the UK – found four times as many people in Scotland said the coronavirus crisis had made their local community more united.
Research by ICM also found people in Scotland were twice as likely to agree that “overall, the public’s response to the coronavirus crisis has shown the unity of our society more than its divides”, with 51 per cent agreeing compared with 24 per cent disagreeing.
Called“ourchancetoreconnect”, the study surveyed nearly 160,000 people across all four nations and claims to be the UK’S biggest-ever public conversation about what divides or unites us.
Report co-author Jill Rutter said: “We heard from thousands of people across Scotland, from March 2020 through to January this year, who shared their fears, frustrations and hopes for the future.
“Despite everything we’ve been through, there is a sense that communities have stayed strong and pulled together, and that new connections have been made.”
Kezia Dugdale, director of the John Smith Centre for Public Service and a member of the /Together steering group, said the report showed a base on which for Scotland to build.
She said: “There are still stark divisions in our society, and it is in the interest of all politicians and activists to change the tone and reset the language used in our politics.
“The report shows the public is demanding a more respectful conversation, and if politicians and activists fail to learn how to disagree better then not only will their own causes suffer, but distrust in our democracy will deepen.”
However, the report also warned both Scotland and the UK stand at a “crossroads” and needed to work more together, with 83 per cent wanting different parties to “work together to solve this country’s problems”.
Bishop Nick Baines, chairman of /Together trustees, said: “Despite the immense challenges of this pandemic, people have responded by pulling together … We found a clear public appetite for a society in which we are more connected to each other.”