Majority believe [UK] union will cease to exist within decade poll finds

Posted By: April 20, 2021

Conor Riordan. Irish News. Belfast. Tuesday, April 20, 000

A majority in new poll expect the union to end in a decade.

The Ipsos Mori survey also found that more than half of the public in Britain and Northern Ireland believe a second Scottish independence referendum should take place if the SNP gains a Holyrood majority.

Support was highest among those in Northern Ireland

(66 percent) and Scotland (56 percent), while a majority of those in England and Wales also believe the party should be able to hold another ballot (51 percent).

In other findings from the poll, more than half think the UK will not exist in its current form in a decade.

Emily Gray, managing director of Ipsos Mori Scotland, said: “The Scottish Parliament elections on May 6 look set to be a critical point in the future of the Union.

“Should the SNP win a majority of seats, as looks likely if current levels of support hold, it will be much more difficult for the UK government to refuse a second referendum on independence?”

The survey included a representative sample of 8,558 people over 16 in the UK.

Interviews were conducted online between April 1 and 7, with data weighted to match the profile of the population.

Half of the UK public said they would prefer Scotland to vote against becoming an independent country if another referendum was held while 17 percent would prefer them to vote for this.

Results show opinion is split in Scotland – 46 percent would prefer to vote against independence while 45 percent would prefer a vote for it.

Those in England and Wales are most likely to want Scotland to vote against leaving the UK – 51per cent and 57 percent respectively.