SCOTS are more supportive of welfare than anywhere else in Britain according to research.

Analysis for the Poverty Alliance shows a higher level of support in Scotland towards welfare and it has been increasing over the last eight years.

The increase in support coincides with the financial crash of 2008 and the impact of the UK government’s austerity on spending and the cuts to benefits payments.

Professor John McKendrick of Glasgow Caledonian University, analysed the trends using the date provided by the Social Attitudes survey.

The briefing report shows while Scots are the most “pro welfare” the figure is little more than a quarter of people almost as many regard themselves as anti-welfare.

It shows 28% are pro welfare, higher than London, Wales and eight English regions.

However the figure for anti-welfare is 22% lower than most others but not the least.

The level of support has been changing over time according to the research

Prof Kendrick said: “Two distinct trends can be discerned on closer analysis.

“First, up until the start of the global financial crisis in 2007-08, there was a shift from pro-welfare to anti-welfare sentiment in Scotland.

“Although the majority of Scots holding a centrist view was fairly constant, there was a steady reduction in the proportion describing a pro-welfare outlook, from 24% in 2001 to 17% in 2008 and a corresponding increase in the proportion describing an anti-welfare outlook from 18% in 2001 to 26% in 2008.”

Support for tax and spend policies also appears to be higher in Scotland at above 40%, only the north west and north east of England higher.

The gap between pro and anti-tax and spend is wider than between the pro and anti-welfare.

The level of support for tax and spend was 46% and those who wanted less tax and spend was 5%.

Support for tax and spend policies increased under the Thatcher Government from under 40% to 70% between 1983 and 1991, then dropped back to almost the lower level by 2009.

It has then stabilised since.

However those who wanted less tax and spend has remained below 10% throughout the entire period.

The majority of opinion on both welfare and tax and spend in Scotland appears to be consistently on the centre ground.

Prof Kendrick concluded:”Much more must be done to bolster public support in Scotland for a stronger social security system.”