Poll: Majority of Scots say independence is a `distraction’ from key issues

More than half of Scots say that independence is a "distraction" from the key issues facing the country as the fall-out of the Coronavirus pandemic continues.

A poll this week showed 55% of Scots back independence

And fewer than one in ten Scots say Holyrood and Westminster work well together, with 76% saying there should be good relations between Edinburgh and Whitehall on the issue that affect peoples' lives, according to polling for the Scottish Fabians.

It comes after a separate poll released earlier this week showed support for independence among Scots now sits at a record 55%.

The latest research commissioned by the Scottish Fabians shows only 36 per cent of those surveyed said they consider independence ‘one of the most important issues facing the country’, and 52 per cent said it ‘distracts’ from other issues.

More than one in five of those who voted SNP in 2019 agree that independence is a distraction, while women (32%) in particular are much less likely than men (42%) to see independence as an important issue.

Katherine Sangster, national manager of the Scottish Fabians, said: “The message to the SNP from this polling is clear: the majority of the Scottish people see independence as a distraction.

“While some polls have asked how people might vote should there be another referendum, this clearly shows that most Scots don’t see this as a priority.

“What people want is governments to focus on the issues that impact their lives, and they want to see more cooperation between Westminster and Holyrood."

The YouGov poll of 1,134 voters in Scotland also found and overwhelming majority of voters (76%) want the Scottish and UK governments to work together on the issues that impact their lives, and only 8% said the governments work well together.

It also found that 46% of voters want the decision on any future referendum to be made jointly between the Scottish and UK governments, while 42% believe the decision should lie solely with the Scottish Government.

Ms Sangster: “Scotland’s politicians from all parties should focus their energy and resources on making devolution work so that we can address the many serious challenges that the country is facing.

“The message for Scottish Labour is also clear - it must remain unequivocal on its pro-UK stance whilst setting out policies that will make a difference to the lives of Scots. Sitting on the fence on the constitution in Scotland is not an option.”

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