THE majority of Scottish business leaders say the Scottish Government is doing a better job handling the coronavirus pandemic than Boris Johnson’s administration – and agree that a new independence referendum is coming.
A poll carried out by the Institute of Directors (IoD) in Scotland among 69 leaders found that 66.7% of those asked felt Nicola Sturgeon’s government was handling the crisis better than Westminster, while 76.% agreed indyref2 is on the way, The Herald reported.
On the Covid-19 handling issue, IoD Scotland chairman Aidan O’Carroll said: “While the decisions made at the highest levels have no doubt been incredibly difficult to make, the local nuances are so important – particularly for directors who are looking for clear and consistent guidance and support to move forward.”
He added that “rather unsurprisingly” the situation has helped to increase support for independence.
READ MORE: Scottish independence: Five key things we learned from Survation poll
“This is something IoD Scotland will continue to monitor closely and ensure that business leaders’ voices are heard throughout any movement towards a future referendum,” O’Carroll said.
It comes as this week a 12th consecutive poll put support for independence ahead of the Union and predicted an SNP majority at next year’s Holyrood election.
The poll also revealed that less than a third of business leaders think they are “very prepared” for Brexit, 62.1% feel they are “somewhat prepared” and 7.6% say they are “not prepared at all”.
The firms were asked what support would be most beneficial in helping them be more prepared for the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, to which 39.1% said clear guidance and 28.1% suggested a clearer “outline on how supply chains will operate post-Brexit”. Another 21.9% added financial support packages, while 10.9% said they needed “advice and guidance around continued employment of EU citizens”.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson to hold Brexit talks with EU president in wake of Joe Biden win
The results come as Boris Johnson is set to hold last-minute talks with the EU Commission president in an effort to break the Brexit deadlock.
Johnson will speak with Ursula von der Leyen today to discuss the “state-of-play of the negotiations” after Joe Biden looked set to win the US election.
The news will be a blow for hard-right Brexiteers who had anticipated a post-Brexit ally in Donald Trump.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here