The Ipsos poll published today has Public transport/roads 10th, with 18%, in the list of issues respondents say will affect their vote. Perhaps surprisingly, given the MSM obsession with them, no poll ever asks about ferries explicitly.
An AI estimate, based on media coverage, of the breakdown is Potholes up to 50% of the 18% or 9%; CalMac 25-35% or 6%, A9 dualing 10-20% or 4% and others 10-15% or 2%.
So, at worst, only 94% of voters will not consider the ferries when voting.
Footnote – OCD prof predicted to keep wasting his time, despite the above, defending CalMac, especially when the next Herald article claims that ‘islanders’ feel they ‘are living in a new Holocaust.’
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The main problem being that 10 out of 11 of those things are either out with our control or heavily affected by the approach of the westminster government.
E.G. if the minister for health at westminster decides to spend less or privatises a previous NHS service. SNHS is allocated a proportionally smaller amount or none for the equivalent service in Scotland, which means Holyrood must find the missing funds from it’s limited budget or cut the service accordingly.
There is no other option. Other than independence
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Most people in Scotland have no idea about these things. Certainly in England most folks just believe they pay for everything in Scotland, free Uni tuition, better child support, better NHS, free bus passes etc etc…their belief in their pretendy English philanthropy is bizzarre.
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Goes to show how much influence the Glasgow based media has. They are all at sea with the ferries 🤣
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This article, in particular item 2,in the Guardian puts the ferries in the shade. At least it would if it had the same level of coverage as the ferries. Read item 2 about the military preparedness, or lack thereof, of UK forces especially the Royal Navy and add in the Reid story to the mix.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/08/conflict-iran-us-uk-geopolitical-standing-military-readiness-explainer
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It’s behind a paywall…the Guardian is a pretendy lefty anti SNP anti Scottish rag. No thanks.
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It is not behind a paywall. I have just hit the link I posted and was connected to the article. As far as I am aware the Guardian does not have a paywall. The second item in the article relates primarily to the Royal Navy and it’s woeful state. Yet MSM up here it is ferries, ferries, ferries.
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Certainly the latest IPSOS poll confirms ferries are not a “top five” issue for those surveyed.
“Healthcare/the NHS is again seen as the top issue helping voters decide which party they’ll vote for (56%, unchanged since March).
This is followed by inflation/the rising cost of living (returning to 41%, identical to December 2025, after a dip of 6 points in March) and immigration (27%). Energy policy is the 4th most important issue, with 27% saying this issue will be very important to how they vote – the first time energy policy has appeared in the top 5 issues for the public.
“A quarter of the public say Scottish independence/devolution will be very important to how they’ll vote (25%, rising to 57% among SNP supporters). The public remain divided on the constitutional question, with 50% of those likely to vote in an immediate referendum saying they would vote Yes and 50% that they would vote No.
“The SNP is the most trusted party to manage the NHS (27% trust) and tackle the cost of living crisis (25% trust), while Reform UK and the SNP are the parties most trusted to have the right stance on immigration (21% and 20% respectively). Around 1 in 5 of the public do not trust any of the parties on key issues.”
I’m personally disappointed that “immigration” features so prominently in third place (or, rather third equal, if energy also gets 27%), but other surveys (eg David Hume Institute) have been saying the same about immigration for some time.
I suppose if you give voters five or ten issues to choose from, and include “immigration”, that may explain some of it?
I’d prefer surveys which give voters a blank sheet. I would then expect (but I could be wrong) immigration to be lower, with “ferries” almost missing altogether.
What do others think?
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” An effect on Holyrood election result” ?
Energy policy , including renewables, is at 27% as an issue.
Ironically , in the future, every issue on that list becomes somewhat meaningless if climate change gets to the critical stage , with impacts such as:
“Severe food & (drinking) water shortage, sea levels rising and catastrophic extreme weather with an increased intensity and frequency of heatwaves, floods, wildfires, and storms.”.
Chaos and instability and so then survival being one option , but (just) surviving in a world that has changed considerably and not for the better.
So currently there is a conundrum for Labour HQ and it is not one that their branch office in Scotland will highlight as being significant.
Labour’s flagship policy in 2024 was GB Energy Ltd.
It was promoted to be a way to achieve it’s (supposed) main goal, which was (supposedly) to make the UK a “clean energy superpower” by 2030, reducing carbon emissions to meet net-zero targets by 2050.
However we have now seen and heard the Labour leader and many Labour politicians supporting and defending Netanyahu’s and Israel’s incessant bombing and their multiple missile launches towards Gaza, Lebanon and now also towards Iran with the aid of America (but also Israel has attacked other areas in the Middle East too).
So here is something I saw online from 2024 via Queen Mary |University of London:
“Bombs, missiles, and broader military operations in wars have a severe, multi-faceted, and often underreported negative impact on the climate, contributing significantly to global warming through massive carbon emissions, destruction of natural carbon sinks, and long-term environmental degradation. Global militaries are estimated to be responsible for approximately 5.5% of all global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, a figure higher than the entire civil aviation or shipping industries”.
So surely then Keir Starmer’s supposed “Green revolution” ambition for his UK State would also be one where he would want other countries within the world to also follow and so adhere to for their countries.
So then would Starmer not feel it was crucial , for the sake of the planet and also his “Green revolution” , to denounce other world leaders, like say both Netanyahu and Trump, who are both negatively impacting the climate in a catastrophic way with their constant bombing in ‘wars’ that need not be fought.
(Also should Starmer have allowed America to use bases in the UK to launch strikes on Iranian sites targeting the Strait of Hormuz) ?
A “Green revolution” is surely one where the aim is “to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, fight climate change, and achieve net-zero carbon targets through sustainable, clean-tech solution”.
War mongers like America and Israel not only stop that happening but they are making it significantly worse .
This is why I and others see Labour’s flagship policy GB Energy Ltd as being nothing more than a private investment opportunity for the wealthy and also another excuse to plunder (even) more Scottish resources away from Scotland , as opposed to it being supposedly created because of a true commitment and a strong desire by Labour to make a rapid transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources.
Where is Labour’s voice as a UK government in condemning wars that not only kill men, women and children in the here and now but, as wars, they are also having a devastating impact on the climate and so then negatively impacting the future of the whole planet.
Labour seem to be in a precarious position in that they are compromised by their allegiance to Israel and also compromised by Brexit , so then that sees them having to try to maintain a relationship with Trump’s America………as the UK State is now out in the cold since leaving the EU.
The EU , as in safety in numbers ? (as in safety of countries together, the same EU that Trump is so desperate to try to divide and so then try to conquer for his kind of America to exploit ).
That’s why Starmer , as a world leader, is a lame duck and the UK State is now a broken and weak country all because of a succession of their terrible and selfish UK governments.
Liz S
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Apologies if I seem to harp on about the LibDems but this is a LibDem stronghold WM-wise, and they’re desperate to get a LibDem into Holyrood from here (currently SNP held). Today’s fortnightly glossy from the LibDems through letter boxes (printed and published ‘on behalf of the ‘Scottish’ LibDems’ IN ENGLAND) tells us that the current cost of living crisis is not being addressed by the SNP (*) and by voting LibDem our worries will all be sorted, energy problems and prices will all be sorted and all life will soon be a bed of LibDem roses. These days it seems to be a case of tell these daft voters anything you like, blatant lies even, and hope they fall for it – and, sadly many do.
(*) Frankly I’m surprised they didn’t add that the cost of living crisis was caused by the SNP. That’ll be in the next glossy likely.
Message to the LibDems and the rest of the English Parties masquerading as ‘Scottish’ – we’re not all as daft as you think.
J & J
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I think that the current “overload” of ferry articles is now seen by a lot of Scots for what it is, just desperation from Unionists as to try and avoid what might happen on 7th May.
That is not to say that Calmac is wonderful and the two big ferries procurement and build will be its finest hour, but in the scheme of things that require to be addressed in Scotland, its not a current top priority.
The “Scottish Media”, can pump out all the made up / exaggerated / pop-up group protests it wants regarding ferries if it thinks it was save Sarwar. It wont.
Stephen McKenzie
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