Brexit could sway Scottish voters towards independence from UK - poll

 

FILE PHOTO: Union, Scottish Soltaire and European Union flags (L-R) fly outside of the Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain, July 1, 2016. REUTERS/Scott Heppell/File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's exit from the European Union could tip public opinion in Scotland in favour of seeking independence, an opinion poll showed on Sunday.

 

Scotland voted against independence in 2014, but a subsequent referendum on leaving the EU has reignited debate over its long-term future as one of Britain's four constituent parts alongside England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

 

In 2016, a majority of Scottish voters backed staying in the EU, while Britain as a whole, voted to leave, meaning that Britain is now due to leave the EU on March 29 2019.

 

The poll showed that if Britain leaves the EU as planned, 47 percent of Scots would vote for independence at another referendum on Scotland's future. That compared to 43 percent who would vote against independence and 10 percent who did not know how they would vote.

 

If Britain remained inside the EU and a Scottish independence referendum were held, the poll showed opinions were reversed, with 43 percent backing Scottish independence under those circumstances, compared to 47 who were against it.

 

The poll was conducted by Deltapoll, a member of the British Polling Council, which interviewed 1,022 Scottish voters. The poll was commissioned by Best for Britain, an body campaigning for Britain to keep an open mind on retaining its EU membership.

 

The British government says that the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence settled the question.

 

(Reporting by William James. Editing by Jane Merriman)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-09-03

Great idea, we wouldn't have to support them financially and save a lot of money 

2 minutes ago, canopus1969 said:

Great idea, we wouldn't have to support them financially and save a lot of money 

Well, you could get a lot of high earners and the highly educated, the people who overwhelmingly voted to remain, who would emigrate to Scotland. It's conveniently situated.

3 minutes ago, canopus1969 said:

Great idea, we wouldn't have to support them financially and save a lot of money 

It does make one wonder, however, why, if Scotland is such a financial burden on the rest of the UK, did the government go to extraordinary lengths to keep us in 2014. Could it be that your grasp of what you think is fact is, actually, utter bilge?

Quote

The poll was commissioned by Best for Britain, an body campaigning for Britain to keep an open mind on retaining its EU membership.

NEXT!

Excluding the Don't Knows, this gives Yes a commanding 52%.

 

Is there anything remotely positive AND credible to say about the future of the UK post brexit? 10% Don't Know is quite a prize to play for, and with Yes having only positive things to offer, it would take a truly remarkable feat of marketing for the No camp to win them over.

 

Of course, the dirty tricks will be ramped up way beyond what has been seen already. I have no idea whether Salmond is guilty of the charges laid against him (claims which have not been formally revealed) but it seems very suspicious that so much internal, supposedly secret information was leaked by the Scottish Civil Service to the Daily Record. The subsequent, seemingly coordinated, onslaught day after day, amongst the wider MSM and opposition politicians suggests a coordinated effort to discredit the indepdendence movement.

44 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

It does make one wonder, however, why, if Scotland is such a financial burden on the rest of the UK, did the government go to extraordinary lengths to keep us in 2014. Could it be that your grasp of what you think is fact is, actually, utter bilge?

Quite simply the Jocks cost the taxpayer a great deal of money - try reading the facts and you will see for yourself - without Whitehall Scotland would sink

1 minute ago, canopus1969 said:

Quite simply the Jocks cost the taxpayer a great deal of money - try reading the facts and you will see for yourself - without Whitehall Scotland would sink

Can you point me in the direction of these facts? The most recent info I have seen clearly showed that Scotland, as a contributor to the exchequer paid more per head than every other region in the UK with the exception of the City of London and SE England.

 

But let's assume you are right - my question still stands. Why, in this age of austerity and sweeping financial hardship across the country, would Westminster fight so hard to keep Scotland within the union? It certainly doesn't help the Tories in any way - already their star is on the wane; Scottish peak Tory has passed. Why then, would they support a nation that will only benefit the opposition?

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Brexit could sway Scottish voters towards independence from UK - poll

I hear this all the time and it is stupidity beyond belief 

 

It is not independence - Scotland has 3 choices, stay in the UK or Join the EU neither of these options are independence,

 

All that would change is the source of their handouts

 

It is obvious that Scotland doesn't want to even think about total independence because that 3rd choice is never ever mentioned, what does that tell me ?. It tells me the great Nation of Scotland are well aware that being on their own would not be a good idea , if they did opt for total independence they would  be very poor indeed.

 

Too funny

1 hour ago, canopus1969 said:

Quite simply the Jocks cost the taxpayer a great deal of money - try reading the facts and you will see for yourself - without Whitehall Scotland would sink

you are actually correct, and like I said in my previous post - they are not wanting independence - what they want is something entirely different but it certainly is not independence.

 

But you get a lot more independence as an independent country in the EU than as a province of Brexit Britain.

8 minutes ago, tebee said:

 

But you get a lot more independence as an independent country in the EU than as a province of Brexit Britain.

Payouts....?

2 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

It does make one wonder, however, why, if Scotland is such a financial burden on the rest of the UK, did the government go to extraordinary lengths to keep us in 2014. Could it be that your grasp of what you think is fact is, actually, utter bilge?

At the end of the day RR it was the Scots themselves that voted to remain within the Union.

52 minutes ago, smedly said:

you are actually correct, and like I said in my previous post - they are not wanting independence - what they want is something entirely different but it certainly is not independence.

Lots of chest puffing from our generous neighbours but little in the way of tangible evidence. Show me the data that informs you that without your magnificence, we would be in ruin.

 

 

1 hour ago, smedly said:

I hear this all the time and it is stupidity beyond belief 

 

It is not independence - Scotland has 3 choices, stay in the UK or Join the EU neither of these options are independence,

 

All that would change is the source of their handouts

 

It is obvious that Scotland doesn't want to even think about total independence because that 3rd choice is never ever mentioned, what does that tell me ?. It tells me the great Nation of Scotland are well aware that being on their own would not be a good idea , if they did opt for total independence they would  be very poor indeed.

 

Too funny

Not everyone shares your bitter, jaundiced view of Europe, as evidenced by the overwhelming desire of Scots to remain in the EU. That you cannot get your head round that fact is neither here nor there - your comprehension or otherwise is utterly irrelevant to us.

 

3 hours ago, canopus1969 said:

Great idea, we wouldn't have to support them financially and save a lot of money 

What a joke, England is subsidized by Scotland.

3 hours ago, canopus1969 said:

Quite simply the Jocks cost the taxpayer a great deal of money - try reading the facts and you will see for yourself - without Whitehall Scotland would sink

Your are talking complete nonsense.

Sorry to all - the scales have fallen from my eyes and the truth is now revealed to me.

Official government statistics were released last month which prove beyond any doubt that Scotland, Wales and NI are all albatroses round the neck of our generous English benefactors.

 

Despite having 84% of the population, England is liable for only 19% of the country's deficit. Yes, that's right - the government's own figures say that the other three home nations are, collectively, responsible for 81% of the deficit.

 

And Brexiteers complain about EU corruption and secrecy? The mind truly boggles.

 

 

33 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

Not everyone shares your bitter, jaundiced view of Europe, as evidenced by the overwhelming desire of Scots to remain in the EU. That you cannot get your head round that fact is neither here nor there - your comprehension or otherwise is utterly irrelevant to us.

 

 

 

No jaundiced view view of Europe..... just the EU.. 

 

 

Hatred for the UK was the motivation behind the Scottish vote.

 

 

4 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

It does make one wonder, however, why, if Scotland is such a financial burden on the rest of the UK, did the government go to extraordinary lengths to keep us in 2014. Could it be that your grasp of what you think is fact is, actually, utter bilge?

It came out at the last referendum. English and Welsh shoppers pay a subsidy for supermarkets in Scotland's more remote areas.

2 minutes ago, Jip99 said:

 

 

No jaundiced view view of Europe..... just the EU.. 

 

 

Hatred for the UK was the motivation behind the Scottish vote.

 

 

 

Yes, I agree - hatred for the corrupt union is a major motivation for many. And you are, of course correct, and I apologise - hatred for the EU cannot be likened to hatred for Europe. Simlarly, hatred for the union cannot be ascribed to hatred for any of the home nations.

2 minutes ago, Mosha said:

It came out at the last referendum. English and Welsh shoppers pay a subsidy for supermarkets in Scotland's more remote areas.

Every additional kilometre that the supermarket delivery vehicle has to travel needs to be accounted for. It is hugely simplistic to say that English and Welsh consumers subsidise Scottish consumers. What about those people living in the remoter regions of Wales or the peak district - are deliveries to their local stores no more expensive than those next to the distribution depot?

1 minute ago, RuamRudy said:

Every additional kilometre that the supermarket delivery vehicle has to travel needs to be accounted for. It is hugely simplistic to say that English and Welsh consumers subsidise Scottish consumers. What about those people living in the remoter regions of Wales or the peak district - are deliveries to their local stores no more expensive than those next to the distribution depot?

Think the Royal Mail cost of delivering one letter to a far off region of Scotland by road does cost a few quid...

4 hours ago, canopus1969 said:

Great idea, we wouldn't have to support them financially and save a lot of money 

They have only 1/9 the GDP of England.

Excellent idea. So Scotland, f..k off.

4 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

my question still stands. Why, in this age of austerity and sweeping financial hardship across the country, would Westminster fight so hard to keep Scotland within the union?

because small islands do not share well and a new land border would suddenly appear when we've only had wet (easily managed) ones for centuries. there are probably many reasons, but this one is pretty obvious

I believe some of Brexit is not clear: 29 March 2019, 11:00 Greenwich time, the U.K. is OUT of the EU. Result of the referendum in 2016.

The discussion now is ONLY and ONLY about: which conditions towards the EU are still possible for an non-EU state like the U.K. 

 

That in the U.K. there are still people, who wants to have a second referendum about if they LIKE the "divorse" agreement… so be it. Has nothing to do with the EU membership, as that ends.. 29 March next year, at 12:00 MET.

Maybe the U.K. can file a new application to be member (again) of the E.U. = but that's another question.  ( accept no preferences, agree €uro and Schengen + driving on the right lane for instance ? ) 

30 minutes ago, timbothaivisa said:

because small islands do not share well and a new land border would suddenly appear when we've only had wet (easily managed) ones for centuries. there are probably many reasons, but this one is pretty obvious

In 2014 the UK in the EU was little more than a internal schism in the tory party; nobody had promised a referendum on membership and certainly, nobody anticipated Brexit, so your explanation is not only far from the obvious one, it is wrong.

1 hour ago, transam said:

Think the Royal Mail cost of delivering one letter to a far off region of Scotland by road does cost a few quid...

So if we achieve independence, are you suggesting that the cost to deliver a letter to the more remote parts of England or Wales will be no higher than to deliver next door to the sorting office?

59 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

Excellent idea. So Scotland, f..k off.

Tell you what, pal - why not put in a bit of effort yourself? Write to your MP, start a English Independence Party, create some momentum - don't leave all the hard work to the Scots.