THE latest poll on Scottish independence support has found the percentage of people in the country who want to leave the Union is at a record high for a second time.
The survey by Savanta ComRes, commissioned on behalf of The Scotsman, also puts the SNP on track for a decisive majority at next year’s Scottish Parliament election.
The party could win every constituency seat apart from one, the survey figures reveal.
With “don’t knows” removed, support for independence is at 58%, according to the polling company – the same figure was seen in an Ipsos MORI poll back in October. Including the “don’t knows” the poll shows Yes on 52% and No on 38%.
The poll was quickly followed by a spat in the Commons as Michael Gove was accused by SNP MPs of a “Trumpian” rejection of rising support for Scottish independence which will only boost the cause.
The Cabinet Office minister was compared to US President Donald Trump as he was peppered with questions from SNP MPs about why opinion polls suggest Scots are in favour independence ahead of remaining in the Union.
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Responding to SNP Cabinet Office spokesman Pete Wishart’s questions about why independence is the “settled will” of the Scottish people, Gove replied: “Sadly I fear his reliance on opinion polls is no substitute for his aversion to hard arguments.Why won’t he engage with the facts?”
Gove highlighted Westminster’s support for NHS funding in Scotland and the UK Government-led Covid-19 vaccination programme.
Wishart countered: “Let me try to give him a few reasons and see if he agrees with any of these – the disastrous Brexit Scotland didn’t vote for, the attacks on our democracy, the undermining of our Parliament, the Prime Minister, him? Maybe they’re some sort of reasons as to why we’re now in the lead. But the main one, and see if he agrees with this, is the way he arrogantly Trumpian says no to a majority in a democracy.”
Wishart asked if saying no to independence would drive support for the issue down or up.
Gove noted the Scottish Parliament election takes place next year and he argued voters will ask questions about the “decline in educational achievement” in the country’s schools under the SNP administration.
The poll also contained more good news for supporters of a new independence referendum with a clear majority of voters in favour of a vote in at least five years, with the majority of them believing the vote should be within the next two years.
Forty per cent of people say they want a new independence vote in the next two years, with 15% calling for one within five years.
Just 6% say there should be a decade before a fresh referendum.
About 12% say indyref2 should take place beyond a decade and 16% say there should never be another vote at all.
On Holyrood voting intention the SNP looks set to gain eight seats – taking them to 71 – while the Tories and Labour are on track to lose eight and five seats respectively.
The results are strong for the Scottish Greens too, who would gain five seats and take over from the LibDems as the fourth largest party in the Parliament.
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Savanta ComRes associate director Chris Hopkins said the voting intentions are the “obviously the most striking parts of this poll”, with the SNP set to gain a majority “under a system designed to limit such executive power”.
“With the SNP’s likely hegemony in Scotland showing very little sign of abating, all evidence points at this stage towards Scotland voting Yes if they were granted another independence referendum and, on this evidence, it may not be that close.”
Similar to a recent STV poll, the survey also found the SNP are viewed as the most trustworthy party on a number of issues including the economy, jobs and education.
And Nicola Sturgeon’s net approval ratings are significantly higher than any of the other Scottish party leaders, sitting at 28%. This is compared to Boris Johnson on -44%, meaning Sturgeon is 72 points ahead.
Scottish Conservative Douglas Ross is at -9% while Labour’s Richard Leonard is at -18%.
Nearly one in three voters said “don’t know” when asked if they felt favourably or unfavourably about Ross and Leonard.
The SNP have been contacted for comment.
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