Election success would entitle SNP to hold IndyRef2, poll finds

A MAJORITY of voters north of the border believe the SNP would have the right to hold a second independence referendum if the party wins more than half of the Scottish seats in the General Election, a poll has found.

By The Newsroom Sunday, 30th April 2017, 10:05 am Updated Tuesday, 9th May 2017, 7:02 pm

A new poll suggests that most Scots believe that the SNP should be entitled to hold a new independence referendum if they win a majority in the General Election. Picture: TSPL

Theresa May has been clear that “now is not the time” for another ballot on Scotland’s place in the UK despite First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s demands for the issue to be put to the people again in the wake of Brexit.

A Panelbase poll for the Sunday Times Scotland has found that 52% of voters believe the Prime Minister should not stand in the way of a fresh referendum if Ms Sturgeon makes a manifesto commitment to try to secure one and wins a majority of the Scottish seats.

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The latest poll puts support for independence at 45%, the same level as at the time of the 2014 referendum.

However, when voters were asked which constitutional option they backed, slightly more than not told pollsters they supported some form of independence.

The survey found 41% favour independence for Scotland inside the EU while 10% support Scottish independence outside the EU.

Some 48% said they would prefer Scotland to remain inside the UK but outside the EU, the Sunday Times Scotland said.

A Panelbase poll conducted for the same newspaper last Sunday found that a third of Scottish voters are backing the Tories.

The survey showed 33% backing Ruth Davidson’s Scottish Conservatives in general election voting intentions, suggesting they could be on course to win a clutch of new seats in June.