A growing number of people in Scotland are wary of secession from England, according to a new study. Many residents of the region fear that leaving the union state will complicate the fight against the pandemic and create economic difficulties, writes The Daily Telegraph.
Support for Scottish independence is waning. The reason – the growing nervousness of residents that their region will be more difficult to fight the pandemic outside the UK, and the prospect of creating a “hard border” with England, writes The Daily Telegraph, citing a new detailed study.
Surveys conducted by former Conservative deputy chairman Lord Ashcroft showed that 49% of Scots are in favor of secession and 51% are against. Many respondents were concerned that vaccination programs, business support and government subsidies could not be sustained if the country left the UK.
According to the survey, 37% believe that secession of Scotland will make it harder to fight the pandemic. On the other hand, 29% believe it will be easier to deal with COVID-19 if it becomes independent. The rest say that the exit will not affect the situation with the virus in any way.
Serious doubts were also expressed about the economic strength of an independent Scotland and the likelihood that it would be able to join the EU, given its huge excess of spending over income. In addition, more and more people are inclined to think that after leaving the union state, the country will face an increase in taxes, electricity tariffs, food prices and an increase in unemployment.
At the same time, research shows that the ruling Scottish National Party (SNP) continues to be the most popular in the country. Moreover, in the survey conducted, Prime Minister Nikola Sturgeon easily bypasses other political leaders in the United Kingdom. Even conservative supporters believe that she is doing her job well during the pandemic, including through her daily appearances on the BBC, the newspaper said.
At the same time, Alex Salmond and his new Party Alba have the lowest rating. Seven out of ten SNP supporters admitted that their attitude towards the ex-head of government has deteriorated over the past year. The overwhelming majority of respondents expressed confidence that he returned to politics in an attempt to undermine Sturgeon’s position.
If public opinion is to be believed, Sturgeon is on the verge of winning parliamentary elections next week. The prime minister plans to use this success to force Johnson to authorize a new independence referendum, which she wants to hold by the end of 2023, the newspaper notes.
Nearly two-thirds of Scottish voters (64%) believe Sturgeon is adept at handling the pandemic. At the same time, more than half of them criticized London’s actions, despite the fact that it was the central government that purchased vaccines for the entire UK.
Survey participants were also asked to compare British leaders with animals. According to them, Sturgeon reminded them of a lion, meerkat or hyena, Salmond – a warthog, snake or toad, and Boris Johnson – a mosquito, panda or baboon, draws the attention of The Daily Telegraph.