New poll shows Scots would vote to leave UK after Brexit
BRITAIN’S departure from the European Union (EU) could trigger Scots to vote for independence and also bring about a united Ireland, new polling has suggested.
Pro-European campaigners at Best for Britain said the findings “ominously threaten the union as we know it” while Labour MEP Catherine Stihler claimed: “There is a clear and present danger to the future of the United Kingdom.”
The research, carried out by Deltapoll for Best for Britain, indicated there could be a majority for independence in Scotland following Brexit.
When asked how they would vote if a referendum on Scotland’s future was held after the UK leaves the EU, 47 per cent said they would support independence, with 43 per cent saying they would opt to stay part of the Union.
But if the UK stayed part of the EU, those figures would be reversed, with 43 per cent saying they would vote for independence while 47 per cent said they would back remaining part of Britain.
In both scenarios, 10 per cent of the 1022 people who were questioned did not know how they would vote.
Best for Britain chief executive Eloise Todd said the research was “compelling evidence as to why we need to stop and think again” on Brexit.
She said: “This is compelling evidence as to why we need to stop and think again. The public deserve a say on the final deal, with the knowledge that if Brexit happens we could shatter the union altogether.”
Colin Clark, the Scottish Conservative MP who ousted Alex Salmond in Gordon in 2017, said: “The people of Scotland voted by a significant margin to remain part of the United Kingdom in 2014.
“It is time to focus on securing the best deal as we leave the EU – one that works for all parts of the UK.”
Ms Stihler, Labour MEP for Scotland, said: “The Tories’ reckless gamble with the EU referendum and Theresa May’s disastrous handling of the negotiations are stretching the historic bonds that unite us.”
She went on: “The majority of Scots believe in solidarity across the UK and across Europe, which is why the Tories must stop putting the Union at risk.”
Stephen Gethins MP, SNP Europe spokesman at Westminster, said: “As the deeply damaging consequences of a ‘no deal’ Brexit become clearer, as Scotland’s economy continues to outperform the UK and as people grow increasingly concerned about the future under Westminster rule, support for Scotland’s ability to take its own decisions in an independent country will only grow further.”