THE public trusts the SNP to manage education and the economy more than any other party in Scotland, a new poll has found.

An Ipsos MORI/STV poll on Scottish independence and Holyrood voting intentions also revealed levels of trust on other key issues.

Respondents were asked how much they would say they trust the SNP a “great deal” or “quite a lot” on several matters.

On the matter of managing education and schools, 59% indicated they trust the party as opposed to just 38% who did not.

Scottish Tories have been highly critical of the SNP’s approach to education in recent months – but on the same issue just 33% of people said they trusted them to manage the issue effectively.

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The figures were broadly the same on the issue of the economy, with the SNP winning 59% public trust and the Tories gaining 32%.

Meanwhile the SNP secured a majority of the public’s trust on several other issues – standing up for Scotland’s interest (75%), responding to the coronavirus crisis (74%), managing the NHS (66%) and tackling inequality (65%).

While the First Minister welcomed the headline figures on party and independence support, she said this data was the “key”.

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“We’re trusted on issues that matter to people. So we must keep focused and never give people impression we’re more interested in talking to each other than to them,” she wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile Emily Gray, the managing director of Ipsos MORI Scotland, commented: “The party’s record on key issues such as the economy, education and public services has been much criticised by the Conservatives in recent months.

“However, those messages do not appear to be cutting through with Scottish voters, who trust the SNP much more on the economy, education and the NHS than they do any other political party.”