Most Scots want to stay in UK and keep the pound, says poll

the government’s leadership had scored 53 per cent approval, down one point since october. The proportion dissatisfied rose by two points to 41 per cent, giving a net approval rating of 12 points. Those figures contrast with the UK government’s net approval rating of minus 41 across Britain.

Approval for the scottish Government is higher among under-35s than over-35s, and four times higher among men than women.

Christopher mcLean, of Ipsos mori scotland, said: “Almost six years after coming into power at Holyrood, the snP government retains the approval of a majority of scots.”

An snP spokesman said: “Coming as we prepare for spring conference in Inverness, this latest poll confirms that a clear majority of people in scot- land approve of the scottish Government’s record and vision for scotland.”

The countdown to the referendum was kick-started by mr salmond when he revealed the date on Thursday.

The referendum bill, which is expected to receive royal Assent in december after passing through parliament, sets out how the referendum will work and lays down rules governing the conduct of the Yes and no campaigns.

But the public will have to wait a further six months for the white paper that will outline how the snP government envisages independence working. l mr salmond yesterday welcomed the 25,000th member of his party. elysee Ahmed-sheikh said she joined the snP because she believes it best reflects her “ambitions for scotland”. A mAJorITY of scots are against the snP’s plan for an independent scotland with the pound as its currency, according to a new poll released today by the Better Together campaign.

According to the YouGov poll, a majority of scots want the pound – as part of the UK.

Just 17 per cent said they backed keeping sterling as part of a currency union with the rest of the UK.

The most popular currency option, favoured by 56 per cent, is staying in the UK and keeping the pound.

one in ten said they would prefer a scottish currency. Better Together leader Alistair darling, the former Labour chancellor, said currency was one of the key aspects of the referendum debate. “one of the most important details is the currency we’ll use if scotland were to become independent,” he said.

“The nationalists at the moment are proposing a currency union. What is a currency union?

“Well it’s like the eurozone and you can see what’s going on there and all the difficulties you’ve had, of which Cyprus is just the latest example. But a currency union means that the two countries involved, scotland and the rest of the UK, would have to agree everything. scotland’s budget would have to be agreed by another country – that’s not independence.”

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