POLITICS

Support against a new poll wins out 7

A PARLIAMENTARY petition against a second independence referendum received more than fourand-a-half times more support from Scotland than a separate campaign backing a new vote.

A geographical breakdown of petition backers revealed 33,892 of 38,515 signatures supporting a second referendum came from Scotland.

However, 158,661 of 221,514 backing a rival campaign saying it should not happen were also from north of the Border.

A Commons debate came about because of two petitions from the public. The one against a second independence referendum reached the required 100,000 signatures.

Martyn Day, the SNP MP for Linlithgow and East Falkirk and a member of the Petitions Committee, said independence “will be decided by the Scottish people and at a time of their choosing”.

Scottish Secretary David Mundell said he was “surprised” less than half of the SNP MPs had attended the Commons debate.

Meanwhile, former first minister Alex Salmond has said Nicola Sturgeon is prepared to call a second vote on leaving the UK shortly after Britain leaves the European Union.