| 6 mins read
SUMMARY
- This year’s elections in Scotland and Wales could see Nationalist-led governments in both nations.
- New polling and research from PolicyWISE shows significant support from the Scottish and Welsh public, and key stakeholders, for greater policy co-operation, less confrontation, and shared working across our governments.
- The UK should adopt a more collaborative way of governing – in line with public expectations.
With the May 2026 elections shaping up to be arguably the most disruptive in the democratic devolution-era so far in Wales and Scotland, what might this mean for how the UK’s governments co-operate, what voters identify as policy priorities, and the future of the Union itself?
New polling from PolicyWISE has revealed the policy priorities of the public in both Scotland and Wales, including significant support for governments to be seen as co-operating, attitudes towards the UK government, and much more.
The picture is similar in both nations. According to Scottish and Welsh voters, devolved and Westminster governments are failing to deliver on the public’s priorities because they are not working effectively together.
Just 26% of Scots and 20% of people in Wales believe their devolved governments and the UK Government cooperate well. The lower figure in Wales is striking. This is in the context of Labour governments in both London and Cardiff, and the Prime Minister’s promise of “partnership in power.”
Things can only get better
But things can only (and should) get better, according to the Scottish and Welsh public. A majority in both countries believe that devolved and Westminster governments could work well together – including a majority of SNP and Plaid Cymru voters.
People also told us they want to see much closer working once the new devolved governments are elected, especially on priorities such as reducing the Cost of Living, supporting the NHS, the economy, and immigration. These priorities span both devolved and reserved issues. It suggests that the UK’s system of intergovernmental relations needs to focus on areas of shared interest, working across jurisdictional boundaries.
Our survey shows that less than a fifth of people in Scotland and Wales want to see their devolved governments ‘standing up to Westminster’ instead of working constructively. For example, 55% of Scots think that collaboration between the Scottish and UK Government on the NHS is “essential” or “helpful”, even though it a devolved responsibility. Only 9% think that working with Westminster would “get in the way” of devolved action.
Who speaks for England?
On geo-political issues, the UK government is representing the UK as a whole. On devolved matters, however, the UK Prime Minister is effectively acting as England’s leader. There is not always clarity about when the UK government is acting as the de facto national government for England, and when it is acting as the governing authority for the whole UK.
Our polling shows that 43% in Scotland and 42% in Wales believe Westminster acts mainly as a government for England. Many, especially in Wales (52%), think Westminster is unclear when decisions affect only England.
Tensions for how the Union operates is also evident in voters’ views on whether government from Westminster has been a ‘good, or a bad, thing’ for their nations. Nearly a third thought it had been a ‘bad thing’, and only 16% in Wales thought it had been a ‘good thing’.
Support for devolved government as a good thing for Scotland (48%) and Wales (36%) was higher than this in both nations, and substantially higher than those who thought that devolved government had been a ‘bad thing’. In both countries it was only Conservative voters who viewed rule from Westminster more positively than government from Edinburgh or Cardiff.
Beyond borders and boundaries
The polling suggests that governments should focus on collectively identifying issues of shared concern and strategic importance – wherever they fall within the ‘geometry’ of reserved and devolved powers. 95% want stronger co-operation of some kind, and only a fifth think that their governments will “never be able to work well together.”
These sentiments echo what we heard from current and former senior government officials across the UK during our recent research into improving the UK’s system of intergovernmental relations. We recommend that the UK adopts a more collaborative approach to territorial governance. This means that the different governments and authorities across the UK recognising that to achieve many of their core objectives, they need to work with others.
This would involve governments and systematically sharing learning and best practice, coordinating better across jurisdictions, and then considering whether to commit to clearly defined joint initiatives. The UK could learn from more established approaches to ‘shared rule’ in Canada and Australia.
The public in Scotland and Wales are ahead of their governments and leaders on the necessity of collaborative governance. With the distinct possibility of an even more complex and competitive political landscape after May’s elections, better co-operation must be a priority to reduce the cost of living, reform public services and grow the economy.
There will be a window of opportunity once we have new parliaments and governments post-May. It’s what the public, in both nations, expect from whoever is in power after the elections, and from the government in Westminster.
