SNP poised for a fresh referendum bid

NICOLA Sturgeon has again talked up the prospect of another independence bid if the UK votes to leave the European Union.

She was speaking as new polling showed the In campaign’s lead had fallen significantly.

A Comres poll for ITV found 49 per cent want to remain, down from 56 in December, while 41 per cent now want to leave, up from 35.

The Scottish sample, which was just over 200 people, showed a greater level of support for staying in the EU at 59 per cent, with only 31 per cent wanting to leave.

Scots businesses also remain in favour of staying in the EU, but significantly support for leaving has grown here too, according to the Scottish Chambers of Commerce. The First Minister said yesterday: ‘It’s entirely possible that Scotland could vote, by a significant margin, to stay in the European Union.

‘But if there’s a vote to come out in England, we could find ourselves being taken out against our will. That would be a democratically indefensible outcome.

‘If we find ourselves in that situation, and I hope we don’t, then inevitably people in Scotland will say shouldn’t we look again at whether Scotland should become independent, given that may be the only way to secure our membership of the European Union.’ She also talked down the significance of the renegotiation deal David Cameron hopes to secure tomorrow and present to his Cabinet on Friday.

‘I’m not sure the debate comes down to what the Prime Minister does, or doesn’t, renegotiate,’ Miss Sturgeon said.

‘Fundamentally, what people are being asked to decide is whether it is right or wrong for the UK to remain a member of the European Union.’

A Scottish Chambers of Commerce poll of 456 firms found 68 per cent back staying in, down from 74 per cent in September.

Support for leaving the EU has risen sharply, from 13.5 per cent to 20 per cent, suggesting undecided business leaders are coming down on the side of Out.

Embarrassingly for the Prime Minister, 65 per cent said it was unlikely that his negotiations would sway their vote.

Liz Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said: ‘Scotland’s exports to the EU fell by 7.8 per cent to £11.6billion, according to the most recent export figures but this still accounts for 42 per cent of the international market for our goods and services.

‘Scottish businesses will be keen to hear from both sides of the debate as to how their competing visions would deliver more exporting opportunities and enable increased growth.’