Nathanael Williams

YouGov poll shows support for an independent Scotland in the EU among citizens

A poll by the German arm of YouGov has found that a majority of Europeans think Scotland will vote to leave the UK.

The formal question for the poll was: “Would you endorse or reject Scotland joining the EU if it became separate from Great Britain?”

Seventy-one percent of Germans, 61 per cent of French and 67 per cent of Danes said they would support an independent Scotland if it desired to become part of the EU. The same study showed Scotland’s favourability as compared to the London government as high among the countries included.

“But we do want to work internationally and multilaterally. In a European manner.” Alyn Smith

This is further supported by a second set of figures in the study showing 72 per cent of Germans, 68 percent of French and even three out of four Britons (75 per cent) believe it is "somewhat" or "very likely" that the Scots will vote for independence the polls.

This comes within the context of Scotland voting 62 per cent to remain in the EU in the past referendum in contrast to the UK-wide 52 per cent vote in favour of leaving.

Matthias Schmidt, data journalist and observer of European affairs in Germany, said: “There is a possibility such a public view could affect how European governments approach the Scottish question.”

Alyn Smith SNP MEP said on an 8 July Die Welt broadcast: “We Scots don't delude ourselves into thinking we are exceptional unlike the British. Scotland is a small nation.

“But we do want to work internationally and multilaterally. In a European manner.”

In contrast to the popularity of an EU-connected independent Scotland among those polled, French MEP Pascal Durand, a member of the group of the Greens/European Free Alliance said in a session of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO): “I have sympathy with the Scots, they did not vote to leave – however the rules of the EU must be carried out and Article 50 implemented.”

For this latest YouGov Euro Track poll a total of 8,404 persons were interviewed from 30 June to 6 July in six EU countries and one non-EU country.

These figures can broken down to 1,820 (Britain), 2,045 (Germany), 1,008 (France), 1,020 (Denmark), 1,030 (Sweden), 962 (Finland) and 528 (Norway).

In Germany, the survey was conducted within the YouGov Omnibus.

Picture courtesy of Chris Milne