1 day Ago By Rachel Amery
Support for independence is now at an 11-point lead, according to a new poll. The poll suggests 52 per cent of Scots would vote Yes if a second independence referendum was held today. However, only 41 per cent of Scots would back No and 7 per cent said they do not know.
Once those who do not know are taken out of the equation, this would put Yes at 56 per cent and No at 44 per cent. The poll was carried out by Find Out Now for the pro-independence newspaper The National. The data collected by the poll suggests every region of Scotland except the south would vote for independence , with the strongest support being seen in Glasgow and in the Highlands and Islands.
Glasgow was one of the few areas to vote for independence in the 2014 referendum. For the best Scottish politics news and analysis, get The Steamie newsletter It also suggests support for independence is greater amongst younger voters - 67 per cent of those between the ages of 16 and 29 said Yes compared to 22 per cent no, compared to 33 per cent backing Yes and 65 per cent backing the union amongst those over the age of 75. Lorna Slater, co-leader of the Scottish Greens, said: “It is no wonder that support for independence is growing.
“For years, Labour told us that what we really needed was a change in government in Westminster, but those words are looking increasingly hollow . “They promised change but are offering more of the same cruel and toxic policies of the Tories. “With the rise of the far right in England, things could be about to get a lot worse.
“If Scotland had the powers of a normal independent country we could do far more for our environment and to tackle the vast inequality that has been made far worse by years of cuts by Westminster. “We could finally undo the damage of a Brexit that was delivered by Nigel Farage and the Tories and re-join Europe. “ Next year Scotland will go to the ballot box .
Independence can and must be a big theme of the election.” This comes after First Minister John Swinney disbanded the government’s independence unit - this unit, comprising over a dozen civil servants and set up by Nicola Sturgeon’s government back in 2019, had spent £200,000 producing independence white papers. Earlier this week Mr Swinney said Scotland would have “greater scope” to address the challenges presented by Donald Trump’s US tariffs.
He said: “Some of the opportunities that independence would bring in relation to access to the European Union would in fact give Scotland greater scope to address the challenges presented by issues such as Donald Trump’s US tariffs . “Let’s take, for example, some of the opportunities that independence would bring in relation to access to the European Union - it would provide us with access to the ability to attract the working age population, which is currently a challenge for us here in Scotland. “It would also give us the opportunity to trade more extensively with the European Union.
“Independence is a way around [Brexit], it’s a way of countering that by making sure that we have access to the range of powers and responsibilities that allow us to put our economy on a stronger footing, and that remains my hope and my aspiration.” He added: “The time is right for [independence] because it’s so important that we have the economic scope and powers to act in the interests of the people of Scotland.” Find Out Now polled 1,417 Scottish adults between April 7 and 11.
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