Public says virus has made us more united, but Indyref2 debate may split us

SCOTLAND has pulled together during the Covid crisis and is now a more united nation – but there are fears it will be torn apart by the Scottish independence debate.

The largest survey of public attitudes during the pandemic found there was a transformation within Scotland’s communities that could drive a step-change in social connection.

But the poll found that both Scotland and the UK stand at a “crossroads”, with the risk of new divisions opening up unless the lessons of the past year are learned and opportunities are acted upon.

In Scotland, there are particular concerns about divisions over independence, with appeals from people on both sides of the debate for a more respectful conversation.

The report found there is a pressing desire to “disagree better” and an initiative for more civil political debate in Scotland.

Asked what divisions in the UK worry people most, 26% (Uk-wide) said divisions between those who want independence for Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland and those who do not. But in Scotland, the figure was 60%.

Some 86% of Scots want politicians from different parties to “work together to solve this country’s problems”.

Sectarianism was raised as a division in central Scotland and some talked about “feeling unsafe” in some areas, particularly when Celtic or Rangers were playing.

The observations came from the Talk/together study, Our Chance To Reconnect – with responses from nearly 160,000 people across all four nations. It said it was the UK’S biggest public conversation about what divides and unites the country, and what could bring our society together.

It found that neighbourly acts of kindness and the relief effort brought communities together in Scotland, and people have a strong sense of national identity that has gradually become more inclusive of minority groups.

Four times as many people in Scotland said Covid made their local community more united

(45%) than those who said it was more divided (11%).

And research by ICM found that people in Scotland were twice as likely to agree that “overall, the public’s response to the coronavirus crisis has shown the unity of our society more than its divides”. Some 51% agreed and 24% disagreed.

Across the UK, the Talk/together study involved an online survey with almost 80,000 responses, five national polls with a total sample of more than 10,000 people, and online focus groups with almost 500 participants from every nation and region.

More than 5,500 responses to surveys came from Scotland, and a December ICM poll as part of the report included 452 people in Scotland.

Report co-author Jill Rutter said: “There is a sense that communities have stayed strong and pulled together – and that new connections have been made.”