Boris Johnson warned his Brexit stance risks breaking up the United Kingdom
BORIS JOHNSON has been warned his tough Brexit stance is risking the Union as a new poll showed Scots now want independence.
Just days after the PM travelled north of the border, the shock survey by polling expert Lord Ashcroft found voters back going it alone for the first time in two years.
When “don’t knows” were excluded, 52 per cent wanted independence and 48 per cent were against – the same ratio as in the Brexit referendum.
And a majority of voters now think there should be another referendum on Scotland’s future by 2021, in a further blow to Conservatives who say the ‘no’ result of the 2014 vote should be respected.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon hailed the result of the survey, saying: “This is a phenomenal poll for the independence movement - showing that more and more people think it’s time that Scotland took our own decisions and shaped our own future as a fair, prosperous, outward-looking nation.”
Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Willie Rennie said: “The apparent rise in support for independence has occurred on the Conservatives’ watch.
“Some people seem to be tempted by independence to escape Brexit and the Conservatives cannot be trusted to win them back.
“Boris Johnson’s reckless pursuit of a no-deal Brexit has caused great anxiety even though independence would add more chaos onto an already chaotic situation.”
Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said: “It’s no wonder that a majority of Scots now recognise the need for us to make an exit from Boris Johnson’s Brexit Britain.”
The online poll of 1,019 adults in Scotland, carried out between July 30 and August 2, put support for independence at 46 per cent and 43 against.
The gap rose to 52-48 when those who were unsure or who would not vote were left out.
Lord Ashcroft said: “This is the first lead for independence in a published poll since an Ipsos MORI survey in March 2017, and the biggest lead since a spate of polls in June 2016, shortly after the UK voted to leave the EU.”
However, there was some good news for Boris as 29 per cent of Scots said he would make a better Prime Minister than Jeremy Corbyn and only 23 per cent preferred the Labour leader.
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