THE majority of people in the UK believe Boris Johnson should agree to a second independence referendum if the SNP win a majority in the Holyrood election, a new poll suggests.

The Ipsos MORI study paints a bleak picture for Unionists, with most respondents believing the Union will not exist in its current form in a decade.

While 51% said Downing Street should allow indyref2 in the next five years if the SNP secure a landslide victory, 40% were opposed.

Support for holding another referendum is highest among those in Northern Ireland (66%) and Scotland (56%), while a majority of those in England and Wales also believe the SNP should be able to hold a second vote (51%).

The National:

READ MORE: Douglas Ross makes 'nonsense' excuse for Boris Johnson avoiding Scotland

Half of the UK public would prefer Scotland to vote against becoming an independent country if another referendum was held, while 17% would prefer them to vote Yes. Opinion is split in Scotland – 46% back Yes while 45% back No. Those in England and Wales are most likely to want Scotland to vote against leaving the UK (51% and 57% respectively).

More than half (53%) expect the UK not to exist in its current form in 10 years’ time, with those in Scotland and Northern Ireland more likely to say this (61% and 59% respectively). Some 35% expect the UK not to exist in its current form in five years’ time – rising to 45% of those in Scotland.

The National:

Emily Gray, managing director of Ipsos MORI Scotland, said the Holyrood election will be a “critical” moment in the Union’s history.

“Should the Scottish National Party win a majority of seats, as looks likely if current levels of support hold, it will be much more difficult for the UK Government to refuse a second referendum on independence,” she explained.

“And these figures suggest that on balance, the UK public are on board with that course of action – more believe that the UK Government should allow a second referendum in the event of a SNP majority than say it should not.”

The research also showed 59% of the UK public believe the UK will become weaker if Scotland decides to leave, while only 11% believe it would make the UK stronger. Half (48%) believe it would make England weaker while 60% predict it will make Scotland weaker.

Four in ten (41%) of the public across England, Wales and Northern Ireland would feel sad if Scotland did vote to leave the UK, while 38% say it would make no difference to them. Only 7% say they would be happy. Those in Northern Ireland are significantly more likely to say they would feel happy should this be the outcome; a quarter say they would be happy (24%) and 29% say they would be sad, although most (38%) say it would make no difference to them.

Ipsos MORI interviewed a representative sample of 8558 people over the age of 16 in the UK. Interviews were conducted online from April 1-7.