Event

25 years of research - Scottish Social Attitudes Survey

This year, the Scottish Centre for Social Research (ScotCen) will publish the findings of the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey.
scotland
  • Event time:
    9th October 2025 14:00 – 16:00
  • Event address:
    Royal Society Of Edinburgh, 22-26 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2PQ
  • Format:
    hybrid

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This year, the Scottish Centre for Social Research (ScotCen) will publish the findings of the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey. Conducted annually since 1999, the survey provides a unique and independent record of changing social, political and moral attitudes in Scotland.

Marking a quarter century of devolution, this year’s report highlights the key trends in public opinion since the creation of the Scottish Parliament. It explores how attitudes towards governance have shifted, whether Scotland is more left-wing than England, and how far devolution has influenced Scottish and British identity.

The event will be led by Sir John Curtice, Senior Research Fellow at NatCen, Professor of Politics at Strathclyde University, and long-time Co-Director of the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey, who will provide expert analysis of the findings.

With the 2026 Holyrood Elections approaching, the survey offers timely insights for analysts, journalists and opinion formers seeking to understand what changing public attitudes mean for Scotland’s political future.

Join us to hear the latest insights from 25 years of research of the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey.

Speaker

  • Sir John Curtice
    Senior Research Fellow National Centre for Social Research
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    Sir John Curtice is Senior Research Fellow at NatCen, Professor of Politics at Strathclyde University, and Chief Commentator on the What UK Thinks: EU and What Scotland Thinks websites.

    He has been a regular contributor to the annual British Social Attitudes report since 1986 and an editor since 1994. He has also been a Co-Director of the Scottish Social Attitudes survey since its foundation in 1999, and his analyses of Scottish public opinion in the run up to the independence referendum were frequently featured throughout the campaigns.

    In 2018, he received a knighthood in the New Year's Honours list. Sir John is a regular media commentator on both British and Scottish politics.