Survey shows Scots Eurosceptics match levels in England

The majority of Scots can be classed as Eurosceptics, with a similar number of people north of the Border wanting to see powers clawed back from the EU as those in the UK as a whole, new research has suggested.

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Some 60 per cent of people in Scotland are in the Eurosceptic category, just five points below the figure for Britain as a whole, the latest British Social Attitudes survey found.

Even though Scotland is often considered more pro-European than the rest of Britain, Eurosceptics are in the majority, with 43 per cent wanting the EU’s powers reduced and 17 per cent backing a Brexit, according to the report
 by NatCen Social Research.

“It appears that the mood for a looser relationship with the EU is pervasive throughout Britain,” the authors of the report said.

The survey followed 4,328 interviews with adults across the UK, including 1,288 Scots.

However, a spokesman for the pro-EU Scotland Stronger In Europe campaign, said that the overwhelming majority of Scots opposed a Brexit.

The spokesman said: “No-one is arguing that the European Union is perfect, but the facts show that the gains of being in clearly outweigh the costs.

“For example, Scottish businesses are free to trade across Europe with no tariffs or barriers – which is good for jobs – and the European Arrest Warrant makes Scotland safer, as it means we can arrest and deport criminals across the EU.”