Scotland voters weigh up priorities as polls approach
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Across the UK, millions of people will vote on 6 May in local and national elections.
But what each of us is voting for will be different based on where we live.
BBC political correspondent Alex Forsyth has written about the choices facing voters in England - many of whom will be choosing local councils or metro mayors in a few weeks.
In Scotland, voters will be choosing a new Scottish Parliament.
It controls significant areas of Scottish life; lockdown decisions, how much income tax people pay and much more.
The election is also likely to be dominated by the issue which has been a key dividing line in Scottish politics for the last few years - independence.
There was a lot to weigh up when we visited Stirling to find out what voters were thinking.
Leanne Brown and Jasmine Stenhouse run a bookstore in the city centre.
The last few months haven't really gone according to plan; they got the keys for their shop just as the pandemic hit last March.
Like so many businesses, most of their sales in the last 12 months have been online while instore shopping was banned.
There wasn't much hesitation when I asked them what their priority would be on 6 May: "Independence."
"It's literally the divide between Scottish politics and English politics," says Leanne. "They are not the same. The countries are very different."
Leanne Brown and Jasmine Stenhouse say the issue of independence is a priority for them
Jasmine adds: "Obviously there are more pressing issues like getting the NHS back on its feet. Those are issues that are obviously important. I feel like it shouldn't have to be said that those things are important.
"But why should we not be allowed to rebuild the country in a way that's in the Scottish people's interests? If Scotland can do their own thing, I feel like the country would flourish."
Around Stirling there are plenty of reminders that the independence issue is nothing new. This is where William Wallace and Robert the Bruce fought some of the most significant battles of the Scottish Wars of Independence.
That was 700 years ago. Obviously, the debate has changed significantly - as has the way people make their views known. Ballots not battles.
Recent polls have suggested support for independence is on a knife edge.
One of the reasons it has apparently risen in recent years appears to have been Brexit. But the pandemic has played a key role too.
The Scottish Government has made the big calls when it comes to lockdown; when to shut parts of society and how quickly to open them up.
Although the big financial interventions like furlough have come from the UK government, if Scots want to know when they can send the children back to school, go to the pub, see friends or go on holiday, they're looking to Nicola Sturgeon for details rather than Boris Johnson.
Surveys suggest that while ministers admit mistakes have been made, Scots believe the government in Edinburgh has dealt with Covid better than the government in London.
But as the focus turns to the gradual reopening of society, for some in Stirling, bouncing back from the pandemic is going to be the key issue.
Cameron McCann runs a distillery in the shadow of Stirling Castle. The last few months have been bumpy with lockdown.
"The thing that's got to be the priority for Scotland is getting the economy going again and getting hospitality, getting tourism back up and working together that way," he says.
Tourism contributes around £12bn to the Scottish economy and distillery owner Cameron McCann wants to see it prioritised
"One of Scotland's biggest assets is tourism. We need to get people coming back to visit."
He adds: "Forget about independence. Let's get the economy to come back. If that's a question for further down the line - that's another question."
Covid and independence are two huge issues. But the Scottish Parliament makes significant decisions which have a big impact on everyday life. It controls key areas like health, education, justice, transport and the environment.
The voting rules are also slightly different - everyone over the age of 16 can cast a ballot, instead of 18 which is the age for general elections.
That means Ella and Shannon will be voting for the first time in May. And they have a lot on their minds.
Ella says she will be looking for politicians who prioritise the environment.
"As much as the pandemic is really important, the climate has kind of been pushed aside. In the future there are going to be consequences, there needs to be a plan on how we can combat that."
Shannon wants a focus on helping people into employment and the mental health issues which have arisen from lockdown.
"The amount of people who have lost jobs, who have been seen to go back into poverty, it's a very hard time for people," she says.
"Especially the mental impact…. It's about having a good recovery from that as well."
Stirling's streets are quiet. Like so much of the country, the pace of life has slowed in the last year.
But as society gradually starts to reopen again, voters in Stirling and the rest of Scotland will face a choice over who is in charge of what happens next and much more besides.
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- Published1 July 2022
