Poll: backing for Scottish independence rises to 57%

Support for Scottish independence has risen to nearly 57 per cent, according to a new poll.

The latest poll has good and bad news for Prime Minister Theresa May. Picture: Rebecca Naden/PA Wire

The survey, carried out by Google in association with the Daily Record, has found most people north of the border would back an independent Scotland within Europe if faced with the choice of going it alone or living under another Conservative government after Brexit.

It also shows the prospect of a second independence referendum will be the biggest influence on 47 per cent of the electorate when it comes to casting their vote during a snap general election on 8 June, while Brexit will determine the decision of 37 per cent.

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However, the poll also provides good news for the Scottish Conservatives, with the party set to secure 25 per cent of the popular vote - up ten per cent from the general election result in 2015.

The SNP are on 39 per cent - down from 50 per cent in 2015. Labour are sitting on just under 18 per cent, the Greens on 8.4 per cent and the Lib Dems have 6.2 per cent.

Just over four per cent of respondents said they did not know how they would vote.

Google runs thousands of surveys a day, across a network of online news, reference and entertainment sites.

On the web, users answer questions in exchange for access to that content.

The user’s gender, age and geographic location are inferred based on anonymous browsing history and an IP address.

Using this data, staff at Google Surveys say they are able to build a representative sample of thousands of respondents.