Scottish independence: More Holyrood powers call

Barely a third of Scots believe that more powers for Holyrood will improve their everyday lives, a new report has found.

All three pro-Union parties have indicated they will back further devolution to the Scottish Parliament if Scots vote against independence in next year’s referendum.

The findings of the Scottish Social Attitudes survey are published by the Electoral Reform Society and ScotCen Social Research today.

Professor John Curtice, co-author of the report, said: “Remaining within the Union, but giving the Scottish Parliament responsibility for everything apart from defence and foreign affairs appears capable of securing the consent of a majority of people in Scotland. However, voters have seemingly heard too little about the benefits that such a change might bring to have been convinced so far that it would make much difference.”

Expectations of what more devolution would deliver are quite modest.

Just 34 per cent think Scotland’s economy would be better if “devo-max” were to be introduced.

A majority of Scots do want to see the Scottish Parliament given the job of making the “most of the important decisions for Scotland” about taxation and welfare benefits – the two areas of domestic policy still primarily reserved to Westminster.

Nearly all supporters of independence back the devolution of tax and welfare benefits, while about half of those who want Scotland to remain in the UK support the idea too.

And although devo-max is the first choice of only just over three in ten Scots, it seems that a majority would back its introduction in the event of a No vote in the independence referendum.