Scottish support for independence slips one week before vote, poll says
Opinion poll results released on Friday show support for Scottish independence shrinking in the final days before the referendum takes place
Supporters of keeping Scotland in the United Kingdom have clawed back a 4 percentage point lead over separatists, a YouGov poll showed on Friday with just a week to go before Scots vote in a referendum on independence.
The YouGov survey for The Times and Sun newspapers put Scottish support for the union at 52 per cent versus support for independence at 48 per cent, excluding those who said they did not know how they would vote. YouGov’s last poll showed support for independence at 51 per cent.
“The ‘no’ campaign has moved back into the lead in Scotland’s referendum campaign,” YouGov President Peter Kellner said in a commentary on the survey. “This is the first time ‘no’ has gained ground since early August.”
“Although ‘no’ is back in front, the ‘yes’ campaign has held on to most of its gains since early August”
Pollsters YouGov and TNS have shown a surge in support for independence since late August as the secessionist campaign led by Alex Salmond won over supporters of the traditionally unionist Labour party and some female voters in Scotland.