Proof that Sturgeon is badly out of touch

WE know Nicola Sturgeon is infamous for conflating the wishes of her narrow band of separatists with the will of the people of Scotland, acting time and again as the partisan leader of the SNP when what the country needs is a First Minister to speak for us all.

Our poll today shows that she is as out of touch as ever with the public over her bid to trigger another independence referendum.

Survation has undertaken the first test of opinion since Monday’s announcement that the SNP will seek permission for another tilt at breaking up Britain.

The results are a devastating blow for the notion that Scotland is so unhappy about Brexit that we want to overthrow both the EU vote of June last year and the 2014 outright rejection of the SNP’s false prospectus for independence.

A solid majority oppose another referendum. Miss Sturgeon’s evident appetite for another damaging and divisive bout of constitutional wrangling is not playing well with Scots who have no end of real-world problems on their plates.

Similarly, the Nationalists had hoped Brexit and the prospect of leaving the EU would drive Scots in their droves to their separatist banner. Not so.

The survey found 53 per cent of Scots would vote No if there were another referendum, compared to 47 per cent Yes.

The gulf between what Miss Sturgeon thinks Scots want and the reality is the result of talking only to her own people and believing her own spin.

The SNP was desperate to convince itself that Brexit would revivify its zombie-like independence campaign – dead to all intents and purposes, but lumbering pointlessly on. Already the Nationalists are talking about Indyref 2 as though Miss Sturgeon’s mere mention of it at Bute House was the starting gun. Again, not so.

The decision on whether there should be a referendum at all rests with Theresa May and our poll demonstrates clearly that the public are happy with that situation – and that the PM should not dance to the Nationalist tune.

Thirty-six per cent of respondents say Mrs May should reject any request to hold another vote, while a further 18 per cent say she should accept the request but only allow the vote after Brexit.

And into this maelstrom has walked the Church of Scotland, inexplicably ditching its previous neutrality.

Convener the Rev Dr Richard Frazer said with a ‘majority of MSPs’ likely to back the First Minister’s attempts to gain a Section 30 order from the UK Government – to clear the way for Holyrood to call another vote – No10 should not stand in the way.

Our poll shows the Kirk, like the First Minister, to be badly out of touch with mainstream Scots. What a sad state of affairs.