THE Tories have been urged to release “secret” polling showing rising support for independence.
Reports on Monday suggested cabinet ministers had been told that 56% of voters in Scotland would now back Yes in a future indyref.
If true, that would be the highest level of support for independence on any poll.
On Monday, Mujtaba Rahman, a professor of political risk who previously worked for the UK Treasury, wrote in the Guardian that ministers are increasingly nervous that a Scottish breakaway is on the cards (the Cabinet was recently briefed that the latest opinion polls show 56% of Scots would vote for independence, and 44% to stay in the UK).”
When approached by The National, he insisted his sources were credible.
Now the SNP MP Tommy Sheppard has written to Alister Jack asking him to release all the data the UK Government holds on support for Scottish independence “through secret, taxpayer-funded polling.”
Earlier this year, it was reported that Downing Street awarded a £1 million contract to polling guru James Kanagasooriam at Hanbury Strategy to carry out research on the future of the UK.
The Cabinet Office has hired Ipsos MORI to carry out work “about the general public’s perception of the state of the Union”.
Sheppard said the Secretary of State for Scotland had a responsibility to be transparent with taxpayers’ money.
He said: “With five consecutive polls putting support for independence over 50% - with the most recent putting support at 55% - it would be surprising if the Tories weren’t conducting secret polling into support for Scottish independence. It is clear that they are running scared.
“However, if they are using taxpayers’ money to carry out such polling it is incumbent upon them to publish those results.
“The SNP has repeatedly urged the UK government to release any data they hold through taxpayer-funded polling but they continue to keep any findings secret. It speaks volumes that the Tories are so desperate to hide the findings.”
The Scotland Office did not respond to requests for a comment.
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