Poll: Support for Scottish independence at 32%

Pro-independence marchers make their way through Glasgow in September 2017. Picture: John Devlin

A survey by pollsters Survation found 36 per cent backed the status quo when presented with four options, including full independence, “devo max”, or don’t know.  

The poll, carried out last month, found support for independence at 32 per cent, while 17 per cent backed devo max - which would hand all powers to Holyrood short of defence and foreign affairs - with the remainder undecided.  

It was commissioned by the Scottish Independence Referendum Party (SIRP), a fringe organisation which wants a new vote on Scotland’s future. The party’s founder, Mark Whittet, stood in the Edinburgh West constiutency at the 2017 general election but won just 132 votes.  

“This poll shows that almost half of all Scots are not in favour of the status quo and the current half-way house under the present partly-devolved powers from Westminster to Holyrood,” he said.  

“The full devo max option is where the Scottish parliament would have full control over every aspect of government with the exception of defence and foreign affairs.  

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“The 49% figure is greater than the 45% who voted for independence in the 2014 referendum, so the Unionist parties should not delude themselves into thinking that they would win the inevitable next referendum.  

“The poll also shows a simple majority of 36% in favour of the status quo. But with almost the same number (32%) in favour of Scottish independence, this does not end the issue for a generation.”  

Adam Tomkins, constitution spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives, said: “This poll shows that there is no mandate for any more constitutional wrangling.  

“Indeed, the highest quantity of respondents clearly endorsed the current constitutional settlement. What all voters want is for the SNP to stop banging on about independence and start improving health and education.”  

Commenting on the poll results an SNP spokesman said: "As this poll shows, people across Scotland are hungry for change - with half of Scots in favour of Scotland gaining more powers. "This will only increase further when the full extent of a damaging Brexit becomes clear and if we're dragged out of the Single Market against our will, with the job losses and serious economic harm that will entail."  