70% of English want Union but most still foresee UK break-up

Published on Monday 10 December 2007 01:15

SEVEN out of ten English voters want to keep the Union between England and Scotland, an opinion poll has revealed.

Just 24 per cent of people questioned south of the Border want the two countries to separate and six out of ten feel more British than English.

But it also shows that 48 per cent of English voters fear the United Kingdom will only survive in its current form another 25 years, and 59 per cent believe the Union will be broken within 50. Just 18 per cent think it will survive indefinitely.

The poll by a Sunday newspaper came on the eve of a visit by Tory leader David Cameron to Edinburgh today. He will meet Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie, and make a speech to party supporters at Dynamic Earth, near Holyrood. Mr Cameron will then meet representatives from the Scottish financial-services industry.

Shadow secretary of state for Scotland, David Mundell, said that a debate last Thursday on the Union and devolution in the Holyrood parliament was the most important since it was set up eight-and-a-half years ago.

He said: "The future of devolution is a cross-party and cross-border issue. David's visit is a demonstration of our commitment to creating a strong and prosperous Scotland within a strong and prosperous UK."

But Scottish National Party leader at Westminster, Angus Robertson, said the poll showed that the English were slowly realising the Union was falling apart.

Mr Robertson said: "There's a growing realisation in England that the 18th-century Union is a busted flush which is old fashioned and out of date.

"What this poll shows is that it's time for a new 21st-century relationship based on equality and mutual respect.

"Our 'National Conversation' is leading the process for change in Scotland with, for the first time, all opposition parties in Holyrood agreeing that Scotland's parliament should have more powers, with the status quo no longer an option."

Meanwhile, UK Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor Jack Straw rejected a finding that 27 per cent of voters believe the Tories are more likely to stand up for England's interests, compared to just 10 per cent who believe Labour and Gordon Brown would do so.

However, most of the voters polled also said there was "not much difference" between the two main UK parties.

Mr Straw said: "It is so dangerous for the Tories to go down the route of English-only voting at Westminster, which would ultimately lead to the break up of the Union. This is not what the British people want."

Acting Liberal Democrat leader Vincent Cable said: "The Union is one of our greatest achievements and it is alarming to see the growth of pessimism about its future."

John Curtice, Professor of Politics at Strathclyde University, said the poll showed that people in England were far from convinced the Union will survive.