BREXIT has increased support for Scottish independence, a new poll has revealed.
The massive survey of more than 2000 people was carried out for Progress Scotland, the pro-independence organisation set up by the SNP’s former depute leader Angus Robertson.
It revealed that 63% of undecided voters believe Brexit makes Scottish independence more likely, and 45% say that Brexit has changed their view on Scottish independence.
The poll also showed that voters are now more concerned about Scotland’s membership of the EU than the NHS or the future of the economy.
Of those polled, just 22% of voters said Europe was an “important issue” when they came to make their mind up in 2014.
More than half, 56% , of the undecided voters told the pollsters that they would be “more likely to vote for independence” if the UK crashes out of Europe with no deal.
But 49% said they were “waiting to see what impact Brexit has on” them personally “before deciding how I would vote in another independence referendum”.
Just 23% of those undecided believe leaving the EU will be “good for the Scottish economy in the long-term”.
And 66% said an independent Scotland should join the EU.
Polling expert Mark Diffley, who designed the questions for the Progress Scotland poll said the results of the poll wasn’t too surprising.
He said: “Since June 2016, politics across the UK has been dominated by the issue of Brexit.
“It is therefore unsurprising that, on the day that the UK had been due to leave the EU, new polling highlights the pivotal role that the issue of EU membership and Brexit is likely to play in any future Scottish independence referendum.
“Progress Scotland’s new poll of more than 2000 people in Scotland makes for interesting reading in understanding how voters view the relationship between Brexit and independence.
“The importance of the EU as an issue which drives opinion on independence has doubled; 22% of voters put EU membership in the top two or three issues which determined their vote in 2014.
“Now, that figure is 43%, making it the single most important issue for voters in another referendum.
“The poll provides further evidence of how the issue of the EU might impact on voters who have no firm position on the independence question.
“The poll suggests that this cohort of ‘open-minded’ Scots has both strong views on the EU and is reassessing its views on independence in light of the Brexit debate.”
Robertson welcomed the findings, saying they illustrated “the significant impact that Brexit is having on the views of open-minded people towards Scottish independence”.
He added: “This is just the beginning of our work, which over time will allow us to better understand an ever growing number of people in Scotland who are open-minded towards independence.”
The datasets behind the polling, carried out by Survation were inadvertently and briefly posted online. They revealed that while 40% of Scottish voters supported remaining in the, just 24% were completely sure they wanted to leave the UK, but 56% of voters were still undecided and tempted by independence.
Earlier this month a poll revealed that Scottish voters would rather have independence than either a no-deal Brexit or Theresa May’s Brexit deal.
The Panelbase survey, carried out for Wings Over Scotland, also indicated that Scots were more likely to back independence over remaining in the UK and accepting the sort of hard Brexit favoured by Jacob Rees-Mogg.
The poll showed support among Scottish voters for staying in the EU has skyrocketed to 66%, up from the 62% who backed remaining in 2016’s vote.
When given a straight choice between Scottish independence and a no-deal Brexit, voters chose independence 52% to 48%.
Then, when asked to pick between Scottish independence and May’s as-yet-to-be-agreed Brexit deal, voters plumped for independence 53% to 47%.
At a recent event at the University of Glasgow, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said May would, “of course”, say no to a request for new referendum.
Hunt, who is one of the favourites be the next Tory leader, said: “The answer of course will be ‘no’ for the very simple reason we think the Scottish Government should be focused on the concerns of Scottish voters – which is not to have another very divisive independence referendum.”
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