Scottish Independence: Support For Split Is Higher In England And Wales

Scottish Independence: Support For Split Higher In England And Wales
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Support for Scottish independence is higher in England and Wales than it is north of the border, according to a new poll.

Only 26% of voters in Scotland want to break up the Union, compared with 46% who do not, the Survation poll in the Mail on Sunday revealed.

In England and Wales, 29% felt Scotland should quit the UK, with only 40% feeling that it should not.

The survey also found that Scots were more likely to vote against independence in a referendum if it contained a second question on whether more powers should be devolved to Edinburgh from Westminster.

In that case - the format preferred by Scottish National Party First Minister Alex Salmond - Scottish support for a break with England and Wales dropped to 23%, with a majority, 52%, opposing independence.

Even on the question of further devolution, dubbed Devo-Max, only 32% backed the idea while 35% opposed it.

Survation interviewed 1,001 people in Scotland and 1,019 in England and Wales between Thursday and Saturday.

A separate poll found that more English voters backed Scottish independence than opposed it.

The ICM survey for The Sunday Telegraph found 40% to 43% of Scots wanted to retain the Union.

But among the English, 43% supported independence and while only 32% wanted Scotland to remain in the UK.

ICM Research interviewed 1,734 adults in England and 501 adults in Scotland between 11 and 13 January. Data was separately weighted to reflect the profile of people in England and in Scotland.