The United Kingdom is under no threat of breaking up, according to a survey published to coincide with today’s official launch of the Scottish separatists’ referendum campaign.
Alistair Darling said the opinion poll shows Alex Salmond, pictured, has failed in persuading Scots about separation
A YouGov opinion poll commissioned by Alistair Darling, the former Chancellor, showed only 33 per cent of voters in Scotland want independence and 57 per cent are opposed.
In his first intervention since becoming leader of the pro-UK campaign, Mr Darling said the poll showed Alex Salmond “doesn’t speak for Scotland” and support for independence has barely shifted over the last four decades.
Mr Salmond will be joined in Edinburgh this morning by celebrities and the leaders of minor left-wing parties to formally start his bid to end the 305-year-old Union between England and Scotland.
Sir Sean Connery is expected to be among the stars who will encourage the Scottish people to vote for separation in the referendum, due in autumn 2014. Those present will all sign a symbolic declaration backing independence.
However, a major division emerged in the separatists’ campaign after Patrick Harvie, the Scottish Green Party co-leader, accused the First Minister of pursuing a “strategy for failure” by promising to keep the Queen and sterling.
The SNP said last night they remained “extremely confident” of winning the referendum but the poll results threatened to overshadow their campaign launch, which will feature a slogan promising to place the future in “Scotland’s hands”.
Mr Darling, the Edinburgh South West MP, said: “Alex Salmond may be the First Minister of Scotland but, as these new figures confirm, on the issue of independence he doesn’t speak for Scotland.
“The nationalists will go to great lengths to try and prove there is a groundswell towards leaving the UK but the truth is their campaign has stalled. Independence is an unpopular as it has ever been.”
The former Chancellor said Mr Salmond has failed to increase support for separation after deploying the “full resources” of Scottish Executive’s civil service, the SNP’s landslide Holyrood election victory last year and raising a war chest of millions.
His survey asked 1,004 Scots if they agreed Scotland “should become a country independent of the rest of the UK”. Only 27 per cent of women agreed with this statement.
Although the separatists have to make up a 24-point deficit, the poll showed only ten per cent did not know how they would vote.
In another blow to Mr Salmond, only 58 per cent of people who voted SNP last year said they would back independence, while 28 per cent were opposed.
Nearly half of respondents (47 per cent) said they thought Scotland would be financially worse off after separation compared to only 27 per cent who said it would be wealthier. Thirteen per cent said independence would make no difference.
Mr Darling was initially reluctant to assume leadership of the pro-UK campaign but has since agreed to coordinate efforts by Labour, the Tories and Liberal Democrats, all of which welcomed the YouGov poll.
Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Conservative leader, said: “Alex Salmond is expected to pull out the stops for his big launch, but all the razzamatazz in the world can’t hide the fact that the majority of Scots have no wish to be separated from the rest of the UK.
“The First Minister knows he is in trouble when more than a quarter of his own voters don’t share his vision for a separate Scottish state.”
Angus Robertson, the SNP’s campaign director, said the survey should have used the SNP’s preferred question, despite polling and elections experts confirming that it is biased towards a ‘yes’ response.
“The referendum isn’t happening tomorrow, as the poll tries to pretend. Today is the start of the biggest community-based campaign in Scotland’s history,” he said.
“We are extremely confident of winning the trust of the people and achieving a ‘yes’ vote in autumn 2014.”
Meanwhile, the Advocate General for Scotland last night urged Mr Salmond to come back to the negotiating table over the referendum’s rules and wording to ensure it cannot be blocked by the courts.
Lord Wallace of Tankerness, the former Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and Deputy First Minister, emphasised only the UK Government can stage a legal vote and power needs to be transferred to the Scottish Parliament.
Mr Salmond wants a second question on the ballot paper asking Scots if they want more powers, in case they reject full separation, but UK ministers want a single, straight proposition as soon as possible.
Source:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9288436/Survey-shows-UK-under-no-threat-as-Alex-Salmond-launches-separatist-campaign.html
Mr Darling, the Edinburgh South West MP, said: “Alex Salmond may be the First Minister of Scotland but, as these new figures confirm, on the issue of independence he doesn’t speak for Scotland.
“The nationalists will go to great lengths to try and prove there is a groundswell towards leaving the UK but the truth is their campaign has stalled. Independence is an unpopular as it has ever been.”
The former Chancellor said Mr Salmond has failed to increase support for separation after deploying the “full resources” of Scottish Executive’s civil service, the SNP’s landslide Holyrood election victory last year and raising a war chest of millions.
His survey asked 1,004 Scots if they agreed Scotland “should become a country independent of the rest of the UK”. Only 27 per cent of women agreed with this statement.
Although the separatists have to make up a 24-point deficit, the poll showed only ten per cent did not know how they would vote.
In another blow to Mr Salmond, only 58 per cent of people who voted SNP last year said they would back independence, while 28 per cent were opposed.
Nearly half of respondents (47 per cent) said they thought Scotland would be financially worse off after separation compared to only 27 per cent who said it would be wealthier. Thirteen per cent said independence would make no difference.
Mr Darling was initially reluctant to assume leadership of the pro-UK campaign but has since agreed to coordinate efforts by Labour, the Tories and Liberal Democrats, all of which welcomed the YouGov poll.
Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Conservative leader, said: “Alex Salmond is expected to pull out the stops for his big launch, but all the razzamatazz in the world can’t hide the fact that the majority of Scots have no wish to be separated from the rest of the UK.
“The First Minister knows he is in trouble when more than a quarter of his own voters don’t share his vision for a separate Scottish state.”
Angus Robertson, the SNP’s campaign director, said the survey should have used the SNP’s preferred question, despite polling and elections experts confirming that it is biased towards a ‘yes’ response.
“The referendum isn’t happening tomorrow, as the poll tries to pretend. Today is the start of the biggest community-based campaign in Scotland’s history,” he said.
“We are extremely confident of winning the trust of the people and achieving a ‘yes’ vote in autumn 2014.”
Meanwhile, the Advocate General for Scotland last night urged Mr Salmond to come back to the negotiating table over the referendum’s rules and wording to ensure it cannot be blocked by the courts.
Lord Wallace of Tankerness, the former Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and Deputy First Minister, emphasised only the UK Government can stage a legal vote and power needs to be transferred to the Scottish Parliament.
Mr Salmond wants a second question on the ballot paper asking Scots if they want more powers, in case they reject full separation, but UK ministers want a single, straight proposition as soon as possible.
Source:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9288436/Survey-shows-UK-under-no-threat-as-Alex-Salmond-launches-separatist-campaign.html
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