A MAJORITY of Scots believe that the co-operation deal between the SNP and the Scottish Greens gives a boost to calls for a second independence vote.
A total of 54% of those questioned for a new poll agreed that the co-operation agreement between the two pro-independence parties strengthened the demand for a fresh vote on the future of the UK.
But the research, by Savanta ComRes for The Scotsman newspaper, also found that only 44% think there should be another referendum.
Some 50% of those questioned said they did not support having a second ballot on the issue – with this including 16% of those who voted for the SNP in May and almost a quarter (23%) of Yes voters from 2014.
READ MORE: Scottish independence support ahead and SNP on 51% in latest Opinium poll
And if there were another referendum, 48% said they would vote for Scotland to stay in the UK, compared to 45% who favour independence, while 7% are undecided.
When these undecided voters are removed, the poll put support for independence at 48% with 52% against.
It comes just a day after an Opinium poll put the Yes side ahead with 51% in support of Scotland leaving the UK.
On Holyrood voting intention, the Opinium poll found the SNP were up three points from May.
Looking at the co-operation agreement, which takes the Greens into government for the first time anywhere in the UK, more than half (53%) said the deal strengthened the standing of the party led by Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater – with this the view of 90% of Green voters.
Almost half (49%) think the arrangement strengthens Nicola Sturgeon’s position – although 25% think the First Minister has been weakened.
More than two thirds (68%) of those who voted for the SNP in May believe the deal strengthens the case for a second independence referendum – with this view also held by a majority (58%) of those who voted Labour and 37% of Tory voters.
When looking at voting intentions, the Greens appear to be the main beneficiaries – with the poll showing 13% would back them in the regional list section of the ballot, a rise of five percentage points from the result in the Holyrood election.
Meanwhile, the SNP are down by four points on this section, taking their share of the vote to 36% when compared to May.
Support for the Scottish Conservatives was down one point to 23%, according to the poll, with Labour unchanged on 18%, while the Liberal Democrats, who have installed Alex Cole-Hamilton as their new leader, were up by two points to 7%.
Voting intention in the constituency section of the ballot was largely unchanged from May, the poll found.
READ MORE: Opinium: Is this a story of pro-indy resurgence or sustained Yes strength?
Chris Hopkins, political research director at Savanta ComRes said: “Support for the SNP/Green deal is, unsurprisingly, driven by voters from those parties, and although not a formal coalition, it’ll be interesting to see how the Green’s electoral fortunes play out over the course of the deal, with voters across the continent rarely rewarding any coalition’s junior partner – but with those voting Green on the list having a huge overlap with those voting SNP in their constituency, perhaps it will have little impact.
Of course, those two parties share independence as a long-term goal, and following something of a climbdown from the UK Government, indicating that there may be a second referendum if around 60% of Scots desire one, this poll shows half think there shouldn’t be another referendum – including 16% of those who voted SNP at the last election.”
Savanta ComRes interviewed 1016 Scots who were aged 16 and above between September 3 and 9.
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