Support for Scottish independence drops: poll

Image
AFP London
Last Updated : Jul 01 2014 | 7:42 PM IST
Support for Scottish independence is falling ahead of a referendum in September, with voters increasingly fearing economic fallout from a split with Britain, a poll showed today.
A YouGov poll for The Times newspaper said support for a "Yes" vote has fallen to 35 per cent, while 54 per cent would vote against independence, and 12 per cent were undecided or would not vote.
With undecided and non-voters stripped out of the survey, which was carried out at the end of June, the result of 39 per cent "Yes" is down three per cent from the comparable figure in March.
A poll of polls shows that Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond's pro-independence campaign has been narrowly behind support to keep the 307-year-old union with England.
Support for independence initially rose after Salmond announced his referendum plan in 2010, but has plateaued in recent months and now seems to be falling.
Speaking to AFP on Saturday, Salmond was bullish.
"We're closing all the time... We've got a bit to go but we're travelling in the right direction," he said.
The economy has been a major battleground, with independence activists saying a split would benefit Scotland but unionists warning of harm to both countries.
The latest YouGov poll, which interviewed 1,206 Scottish adults between June 25 and 29, showed only 27 per cent thought Scotland would be better off as an independent country, down three points since March, while 49 per cent believed it would be worse off, up four points.
The British government has warned that Scotland would be forced to ditch the pound sterling in case of independence, and that an independent Scotland may be forced to reapply for European Union and NATO membership.
Salmond says North Sea oil revenues would boost Scotland's economy.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jul 01 2014 | 7:42 PM IST

Next Story