No campaign poll backfires as independence more popular than status quo

Monday, 06 January 2014 07:25

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  By a Newsnet reporter

A new poll for the No campaign has backfired after it found independence is more popular than the status quo.

The YouGov survey on behalf of Better Together, which gave respondents three options found only 29% of people in Scotland support the status quo – the position of the No campaign – with 30% of those polled saying they backed independence and 32% opting for more powers.

The SNP immediately seized on the results calling them embarrassing for the No campaign, which has repeatedly insisted it will not campaign for more powers.

Commenting, SNP MSP Linda Fabiani said:

“What an embarrassing start to the year for the No campaign as their own poll boomerangs. The result tells us that independence is more popular than the status quo.

“And we know that the only way to ensure Scotland gets the powers over welfare and the economy that we need and to remove Trident is by voting Yes for independence this year.

“The No campaign has bizarrely asked questions on more powers for the parliament that they themselves blocked from the ballot paper. This poll is an absolute embarrassment.

“The reality is that this poll is consistent with a previous YouGov poll for the SNP that showed people want the Scottish Government to have powers over welfare, tax and pensions.

“But we know from history – and the latest revelations published this week – that Westminster parties can’t be trusted to deliver any more powers at all for Scotland.

“All Scotland got after the 1979 referendum was 18 years of Tory Government we didn’t vote for. It is clear Scotland couldn’t trust a Tory government back then, so why should we trust Westminster now?

“A Yes vote is a vote for good government from Scotland, where decisions are made by the people who live and work here – not by a remote Westminster system.”

However Better Together head Blair McDougall insisted the survey backed his own campaign’s anti-independence stance.

“The choice we face in September is between continuing the success of devolution as part of the wider UK or giving up on devolution and going it alone.

“Devolution has been a success and new tax-raising and borrowing powers are being delivered for our parliament.  The three pro-devolution parties are committed to strengthening and continuing the success of the Scottish parliament.

“Even the SNP, after a vote to remain in the UK, will have to become a pro-devolution party. It is clear there is already strong support among their own voters for devolution.”

Last week head of Better Together, Labour MP Alistair Darling, insisted the No campaign was not designed to define what follows a No vote and that the three parties who formed the anti-independence group would set out their own proposals at some point.

However the nationalists have argued that the No campaign must set out exactly what new powers will be handed to Scotland in the event of a No vote.  The option of more powers was blocked from appearing on the ballot paper after the UK Government refused to back the idea.

Responding to the poll, A spokesman for Yes Scotland said: “What this survey shows is that most people want decisions about Scotland to be made in Scotland, and the only way to guarantee that is with a ‘yes’ vote in September.  There is no option for ‘more powers’ on the ballot paper.”

A poll last year by YouGov showed most Scots wanted the Scottish Parliament to be given control of key areas.

Asked the following:

Currently the Scottish government has control over many policy areas, such as health and education. Other areas are run by the UK government (known as reserved powers). For each of the following areas, please say whether you think they should be run by the Scottish government or by the UK government:

The survey results were:

Welfare and benefits
Should be run by the Scottish government: 56%
Should be run by the UK government: 36%
Not sure: 8%

Pensions
Should be run by the Scottish government: 51%
Should be run by the UK government: 41%
Not sure: 8%

Taxation
Should be run by the Scottish government: 53%
Should be run by the UK government: 39%
Not sure: 9%