A new poll has found a majority of Scots are now in favour of independence, which Scotland’s first minister has described as “phenomenal”.
The Lord Ashcroft poll puts support for independence at 46 per cent and 43 per cent against.
When those who said they did not know how they would vote, or said they would not vote, were removed, support for independence was at 52 per cent and 48 per cent were against.
The online poll questioned 1,019 adults in Scotland between July 30th and August 2nd.
It found 47 per cent felt there should be a second independence referendum within the next two years, with 45 per cent against the proposal.
First minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “This is a phenomenal poll for the independence movement – showing that more and more people think it’s time that Scotland took our own decisions and shaped our own future as a fair, prosperous, outward-looking nation.”
Ms Sturgeon said the case for independence was growing stronger by the day as Scotland was “dragged towards a no-deal Brexit”.
‘Brexit catastrophe’
Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said: “We didn’t vote for Brexit, we didn’t vote for a Tory government and I’m certain that given the choice we wouldn’t have voted for Boris Johnson either – yet we are being dragged along with the ever increasing Brexit catastrophe.
“It’s no wonder that a majority of Scots now recognise the need for us to make an exit from Boris Johnson’s Brexit Britain.
“We already have a mandate to hold an independence referendum, yet the Tory government has threatened to block a request.
“This would be an affront to democracy and is wholly untenable in the face of public support for a vote.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: “Taking Scotland back to another divisive referendum on independence is not the way forward and the Scottish Conservatives will oppose it every step of the way.
“It is time for us all to focus on what matters – growing our economy, and sorting out the mess the SNP is making of our education system and the NHS.”
Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Willie Rennie said: “The apparent rise in support for independence has occurred on the Conservatives’ watch.
“Some people seem to be tempted by independence to escape Brexit and the Conservatives cannot be trusted to win them back.
“Boris Johnson’s reckless pursuit of a no-deal Brexit has caused great anxiety even though independence would add more chaos onto an already chaotic situation.”
He added: “The Conservatives are playing fast and loose with the future of our country.
“The best way to keep the United Kingdom together is to stop Brexit and it is the Liberal Democrats who alone stand up for the most popular position – remaining in the UK and the EU.” – PA