Updated with additional polling data and tables.
A landmark opinion poll marking the fifth anniversary of the Scottish independence referendum has revealed that 59% of voters want to remain in the UK.
Only 27% of people support Nicola Sturgeon’s plan for a second referendum within 18 months.
87% of those who don’t want another referendum believe the 2014 contest was a ‘once-in-a-generation’ referendum, as promised by the SNP.
More than half of voters think a second referendum would make Scottish society more divided.
36% of 2014 ‘Yes’ voters now want to remain in the UK.
Among former ‘Yes’ voters who now want to remain in UK, ‘protecting public services’ is the most popular reason for changing their vote, while 49% cite Nicola Sturgeon’s performance as First Minister.
60% of voters in Glasgow now support remaining in the UK.
The poll asked people how they would vote in a second independence referendum with the question ‘should Scotland remain in the United Kingdom or leave the United Kingdom?’
The ‘once in a generation’ independence referendum in 2014 was conducted with a yes/no question. However, ahead of the 2016 EU referendum, the Electoral Commission concluded that yes/no questions should not be considered neutral as only one outcome is reflected in the question. The Electoral Commission has recently said it must assess any future referendum question. Pamela Nash, chief executive of Scotland in Union, said:
“Just five years on from the referendum that Nicola Sturgeon promised was a ‘once-in-a-generation’ contest, this landmark poll shows that 59% of people in Scotland want to remain in the UK.
“More than half a million Scots who voted ‘Yes’ in 2014 have now switched to supporting Scotland’s future in the UK to protect vital public services like the NHS and schools from the SNP’s drastic cuts.
"People are seeing the chaos that Brexit has brought, and know that Scotland leaving the UK would be much worse.
“Barely a quarter of people support the First Minister’s plan for a second referendum within 18 months, and she should now drop her reckless and deeply unpopular proposal.
“Over half of people think another referendum would make Scottish society more divided at a time when the country is already deeply divided.
“We are stronger together as part of the UK. It’s time to put the independence referendum divisions behind us and work towards a better future for Scotland as part of the UK, protecting public services and growing our economy, and building on our shared history and culture.”
Updated section:
ONLY 13% OF SCOTS BACK SNP PLAN TO DITCH THE POUND
Only 13% of people in Scotland back the SNP’s plan to scrap the pound and use a new currency.
Further details from the new opinion poll by Survation for Scotland in Union also reveal:
65% of people in Scotland want to keep using the British pound.
Only 20% of voters think the Electoral Commission should not be required to provide views and advice on the wording of the question in any future second independence referendum in all circumstances.
Only 25% of voters support the proposal put forward by maverick SNP politicians to declare independence without a referendum.
The new opinion poll for Scotland in Union was carried out by Survation, with 1,003 adults aged 16+ in Scotland interviewed between September 12 and 16.
It revealed that 59% of voters want to remain in the UK, and only 27% of people support Nicola Sturgeon’s plan for a second referendum within 18 months.
Pamela Nash, chief executive of Scotland in Union, said:
“The SNP’s plan to scrap the pound is deeply unpopular, and is supported by just 13 per cent of voters in Scotland.
“The only way to save the pound and protect wages, mortgages and pensions is to remain in the UK.
“Nicola Sturgeon should drop her plan for an unwanted second independence referendum within 18 months.
“If the SNP does try to press ahead, this poll shows that the question must be independently assessed to ensure fairness, and it must be conducted according to the democratic and legal process.
“But the last thing that Scotland needs is another divisive and unnecessary referendum. We are stronger together as part of the UK, keeping the pound and protecting public services.”
The data tables can be downloaded here
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