EU result dealt blow to support for Indyref 2

Deputy Scottish Political Editor SCOTS are eurosceptics and that is why Nicola Sturgeon’s hopes that Brexit would fuel a rise in support for independence have come to nothing, according to a report.

Political expert Sir John Curtice said that far from Miss Sturgeon’s belief a ‘material change’ would allow her to push for another referendum, Brexit had ‘made both independence and the SNP relatively less popular’.

His intervention follows the latest survey by NatCen which shows that 58 per cent of Scots support leaving the EU, or believe that a radical overhaul is needed.

The social research firm also published a report yesterday by Sir John and senior researcher Ian Montagu – titled How Brexit Has Created a New Divide in the Nationalist Movement – that says evidence ‘suggests that the outcome of the EU referendum has not resulted in a significant increase in support for independence’.

Instead, the pair say the Brexit vote has splintered support for the SNP and independence.

They found that the SNP had ‘lost ground in the 2017 election among those who are sceptical about Europe’ and younger voters.

A Scottish Tory source said: ‘Nicola Sturgeon calculated that after the Brexit vote she could use the result of the referendum to restart her case for independence. It is quite clear this was a serious misjudgment. Far from rallying support for independence, she only succeeded in splintering her own grassroots support.’

However, SNP business convener Derek Mackay said: ‘Independence is now the most popular constitutional option, with an overall majority for independence within touching distance.’

‘Splintering grass roots support’