Party leaders in Scotland are failing to make an impression on Scotland’s business community. Presented with a list of which one they would hire, the most popular choice is “none of the above”.

The latest edition of the Understanding Business survey asked 510 company bosses which party leader they would employ in their own business. More than two-in-five (42%) declined all the options put to them.

Of those selected, First minister, John Swinney was favoured by a quarter (24%) of respondents. None of the other party leaders were selected by more than one-in-10 hypothetical recruiters, with Anas Sarwar, Russell Findlay, and Alex Cole-Hamilton selected by nine, seven and five per cent of bosses respectively.

There will be some raised eyebrows that Gillian Mackay, co-leader of the Green Party who is opposed to oil & gas and wealth creation in general, scored higher (4%) than the experienced businessman and Reform UK Scotland leader Malcolm Offord. He shared bottom spot with the other Green leader Ross Greer, and Kenny MacAskill of the Alba Party on 3%.

The SNP (35%) topped the party seen as best representing the interests of business, which will come as a surprise to those business leaders who accuse the SNP government of failing to understand the needs of the hospitality and retail sectors, maintaining a high tax economy, taking a cautious approach to defence, and taking an ambivalent view of the oil & gas sector.

Labour was second on 19% and the Conservative party third (16%). Despite Mr Offord trailing the Greens in the leadership stakes, his party won support from 11% of the business community, against the Greens on 7%, suggesting some inconsistency in the responses. The Lib Dems trailed in last with just 5% of respondents believing the party is the best for business.

Understanding Business is a quarterly survey designed and conducted by Diffley Partnership and Charlotte Street Partners.

The results will puzzle those who would expect the right wing parties and party leaders to win more support. Mr Offord has privately claimed that the business vote is ‘in the bag’, while the Greens have been openly hostile to the rich and powerful.

Asked to explain the findings, Scott Edgar, senior research manager at Diffley Partnership, said: “The results reflect organisations of all sizes and sectors, from small firms through to leaders in larger companies right across Scotland. 

“That group is politically varied, and respondents likely bring their broader political views into any ratings exercise.

“It’s also worth noting that these patterns are consistent with wider public data. In the most recent Ipsos Political Pulse, released on Thursday. Favourability towards Reform UK dips in Scotland while the SNP’s ratings hold up.”

The Understanding Business survey showed deepening concern about the year to come. Just over half (53%) of respondents expect general economic conditions to worsen over the next 12 months, a seven-point rise since December.

The proportion expecting improvement in general economic conditions has fallen from 31% to 26% and economic uncertainty has become the most significant barrier to business growth, cited by more than four-in-10 businesses (42%), up seven points on the last quarter.

Excluding “don’t knows”, almost two-thirds (62%) of firms anticipate raising their prices in the next three months, with utilities (36%) and fuel costs the most frequently cited drivers of those increases. The latter has risen sharply since December to 28%, a 13-point jump.

Mr Edgar said: “The upward movement in negative expectations highlights a growing belief that the remainder of 2026 is more likely to bring additional challenges than relief. These findings reflect a shift from short‑term uncertainty to more entrenched concern.”

Conservatives ‘on the side of public opinion’

Separately, the Scottish Conservatives leader Russell Findlay says his party is on the right side of public opinion on all key issues.

In a speech in Glasgow today, he is expected to say that his party’s stance on key issues, from oil & gas to the cost of living and crime, chimes with mainstream Scotland.

Polls have shown the Tories slipping from being the second largest in Holyrood to fourth behind the SNP, Labour and Reform.

But Mr Findlay will say: “We can be confident because we go into this election knowing we’re on the right side of public opinion on all the big issues.

“Whether it is energy, and our support for oil and gas and new nuclear generation in Scotland; or criminal justice, and our demand for honest sentencing; or education, and our plan to give headteachers the power to exclude violent pupils.

“Most people out there agree with our common-sense plans.”

Offord hits back at IFS

In article published today, Mr Offord has dismissed claims by the Institute for Fiscal Studies that Reform’s income tax plans are “not credible”.

Mr Offord pointed out that Reform’s £2 billion savings target is just 3% of the Scottish budget, “less than any business manager would think twice about trimming”.

He said Scotland’s government now controls 54 pence of every pound the Scottish economy produces, “yet public services are getting worse, not better”.

He added: “Doing nothing is simply untenable. Since 2000. Scotland has had one of the worst growth rates in Europe. Scottish politics needs a well overdue reality check, a razor-like focus on how we grow the cake, rather than squabble about how it is carved up as it gets smaller each year.”

Mr Offord said the IFS receives 75% of its funding from UK Government departments and quangos.

 “Any notion that this organisation is genuinely independent is simply not credible,” he said.

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