YouGov poll: 49% of Scottish voters now prefer independence

Reuters

EDINBURGH (Reuters) - Support for Scottish independence has risen to its highest point in the past four years, largely driven by voters who want to remain in the European Union, according to a poll published on Saturday.

As the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) meets for its spring conference, the YouGov poll showed support for secession from the United Kingdom had risen to 49 percent from 45 percent at the last YouGov poll carried out for The Times in June 2018.

Scots rejected independence by 45-55 percent in a 2014 referendum. Then the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in a 2016 referendum, but among its four nations Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay, feeding political tension.

Britain is mired in political chaos and it is still unclear when or even if it will leave the EU.

YouGov also found that 53 percent of Scots thought there should not be another referendum on independence within the next five years. Scotland’s First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon is pushing for one before 2021, when the current Scottish parliamentary terms ends.

YouGov polled 1029 adults in Scotland following a new guideline on independence set out by Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Wednesday.

The poll also showed voters moving away from both the Conservatives and the Labour Party north of the English border.

The Scottish Conservatives, part of Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative Party, are set to lose their only representative in the European Parliament in next month’s election as 40 percent of those who backed them two years ago switch to Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party.

“These patterns represent a clear warning to the Unionist camp that the pursuit of Brexit might yet produce a majority for independence,” Professor John Curtice, Britain’s leading polling expert, wrote in a column for The Times.

Not. A. Shock. Both Corbyn and May have been absolutely useless on Brexit.

Watch it rise even higher once we leave the EU. Wonder if I can apply for a Scottish passport in the future, cheered them on at the football once so that has to count for something.

Brexit is the catalyst that is going to destroy the UK, even if it some how gets reversed the damage has already been done.

Oh no a random poll which is highly questionable

What are the scots going to do?

Also considering that about 45% voted to leave, it´s an increase of about 4% so within the margin of error especially considering the small pull.

Some views on Brexit have since changed. Some people regret voting for it after seeing the damage done.

Sure put a 4% points change from 45 to 49 is not a landslide and most scots still prefer to stay.

So i have no doubt that once they got on the other side of the whole Brexit and it´s a done deal and the markets start to live with it, that number will drop again down to below 44-45%

An SNP guy was at the door the other day asking about it.

When asked, replied with "you had a vote, you can't just get it changed a few years later because you don't like the results", he wasn't very happy.

For a party screaming about Independence they sure don't like democracy.

LOL nice reply you gave and ya democracy does not work as he expects and you get a new referendum each time the result is not what you like.

Got to love Brexiteers logic...

They want the UK (really, just England) to leave the EU, but when Scotland and Northern Ireland want to leave the UK, they get clingy trying to have their cake and eat it too. My guess being Brexit being mostly a right-wing nationalist effort, while Irish and Scottish nationalist are more left-wing?

Is it unreasonable to think that a lot of people voting for Brexit, thought there was a plan? And seeing the lack of a plan has made them change their mind?

Wouldn't be surprised.

Reuters released a "Map of landmines", explaining how Brexit could be very well helping the SNP.

Well, it is fair to ask, how often should Scotland get to vote for independence? Every year? Every decade? Every 50 years?

Not an unreasonable question to ask.

I mean, imagine if every so often some states of the USA got to vote about whether or not they would leave the Union with the implication that if they indeed voted for independence it would be honored as such. Would bring incredible instability.

The underlying problem then seems to be the lack of a permanent resolution. The United States fought a war to settle that.

51% or go home