 | 'With recent polls showing the Scottish National Party building a lead against Labour in the race for power at Holyrood, the Mail's survey confirms that pressure for Scottish independence is building inexorably.' Benedict Brogan in the Daily Mail, 12 th January 2007. |  |
A majority of voters in both Scotland and England want the countries to split.
Failing that, both think England should have a Parliament of its own deciding on English affairs without any involvement of Scottish MPs.
The poll findings demonstrate deep and potentially fatal cracks in the 300-year union of the two countries, and threaten to present Gordon Brown with a constitutional crisis if he becomes Prime Minister.
In a further blow to Mr Brown, a majority in both countries want him to call an election within a year of coming to power, to secure his own mandate from the voters.
The ICM survey of attitudes on the Union and nationality was commissioned by the Daily Mail in advance of next week's 300th anniversary of the ratification of the treaty which bound Scotland and England together.
It shows that nearly half of those polled think the arrangement is unlikely to survive more than 25 years.
Two out of three English voters want an end to the subsidies paid to Scotland, and a majority want to end the anomaly that gives Scots MPs at Westminster a say over legislation which affects only England.
The results suggest that Mr Brown's first months in office after succeeding Tony Blair later this year will be dominated by a massive constitutional headache. There will be crucial elections in Scotland in May and the Chancellor is braced for a damaging rejection in his own back yard as voters prepare to throw out Labour and turn to the nationalists.
The ICM survey finds a majority of voters in both countries want him to call an early election to secure his own mandate against David Cameron's Tories.
Pressure to go to the polls will intensify if he finds himself leading a party that not only failed to command a majority of votes in England at the last general election, but has been defeated in its Scottish heartland.
Mr Brown will also be disappointed that the poll indicates his attempts to promote the idea of Britishness have fallen on deaf ears on both sides of the border.
Just 31 per cent of people in England say they are British first, and only 15 per cent in Scotland.
And despite a decade of constitutional tinkering by Labour, the survey fails to record a significant level of enthusiasm for devolution in Scotland. Fewer than 40 per cent of Scots say it has been a good thing, while the level of approval in England is even lower.
With recent polls showing the Scottish National Party building a lead against Labour in the race for power at Holyrood, the Mail's survey confirms that pressure for Scottish independence is building inexorably.
It shows that more than half of Scots - 51 per cent - want Scotland to break away. So do 48 per cent of English respondents, again a clear majority of those who expressed an opinion one way or the other.
There is even stronger support for an English parliament, with 51 per cent backing the move in England and 58 per cent in Scotland.
And there was solid backing for England to have its own Prime Minister or First Minister - 54 per cent in England and 62 per cent in Scotland.
Among the English, 53 per cent want Scots MPs at Westminster to be barred from voting on issues that affect England only, such as health and education. A majority of Scots who expressed a view also want to see Scots MPs' voting rights restricted.
Nearly two out of three voters want Mr Brown to call an election within a year of taking over.
Monday marks 300 years since the Treaty of Union was passed by Parliament. The 300th anniversary of the Act of Union itself will be marked on May 1 - just two days before Scots go to the polls.
A Labour-led coalition has run Scotland since the first elections for the Scottish parliament in 1999. But voters have been turning away in droves and now appear ready to elect the SNP, which has pledged a referendum on independence.
Although Mr Cameron has promised to defend the Union, he has also called for reforms to address the so-called West Lothian Question - which asks why Scots MPs are able to vote on purely English matters at Westminster while English MPs no longer have a say on Scottish domestic affairs.
Asked about the future of the Union at the weekend, Mr Brown told the BBC Sunday AM programme: "I know that England is 85 per cent of the Union. And England at any point can outvote the rest of the Union.
"The reason why we had devolution was to recognise the different views and the decision-making processes in some other parts of the country. But at the end of the day this is a Union that is built around an England that is 85 per cent of the Union."
He added: "Let's not forget the strengths of the United Kingdom, and let's also not forget that a policy of English votes for English laws would in the end break up the United Kingdom, because the executive would have to owe its authority to simply the English members."
The SNP leader, Alex Salmond, today seized on a new poll that found majority support in Scotland for independence.
The survey, published in the Daily Mail, also found that if the union remained, people in both countries believed England should have a parliament of its own deciding on English affairs, without any involvement of Scottish MPs.
The survey was commissioned by the newspaper ahead of next week's 300th anniversary of the ratification of the treaty which united the two countries.
The poll found that nearly half of those surveyed thought the arrangement would continue longer than 25 years.
But is also revealed that 48% of the English and 51% of those in Scotland approved of Scotland becoming independent.
In England, 39% disapproved, while the figure was 36% in Scotland.
Twelve per cent in England and 14% in Scotland did not know.
Meanwhile, 53% of the English and 47% of Scots thought MPs representing Scottish seats in the House of Commons should be barred from voting on laws only affecting England and Wales.
There was also majority backing in both countries for England to have its own first minister.
The poll will fuel the ambitions of the Scottish National party, which campaigns for independence from England and harbours high hopes of wresting control of the Scottish executive at the elections in May.
Party leader Mr Salmond said: "There is a powerful pro-independence tide flowing north and south of the border.
"Both countries now have majorities in favour of independence.
"What we need is a new 21st-century partnership between Scotland and England based on equality and mutual respect.
"That will be much more positive for both nations than the present hotchpotch of confusion and resentment."
Mr Salmond also called for "real powers" for Scotland.
"Scots are tired of remote control from London, and the onset of devolution has made people realise that since we have a devolved parliament, it's time to have a real parliament with real powers.
"In England, people quite rightly resent Scottish Labour MPs bossing them about on English domestic legislation.
"England has as much right to self-government as does Scotland."
The findings will prove a headache for Scottish MP Gordon Brown, who is widely tipped to become prime minister for the UK parliament when Mr Blair stands down, and has sought to promote Britishness.
The Conservatives have recently resurrected the "West Lothian question", whereby MPs from across the UK all get a say in matters only affecting England.
In light of devolution, the Tories say England should also now have its own parliament to determine England-wide policies.
SCOTTISH Nationalists were given a boost today by a new poll showing a majority of people both north and south of the Border want an independent Scotland.
The ICM survey found 51 per cent of Scots backed independence, with 36 per cent against and 14 per cent "don't know". In England, 48 per cent said they would like to see an independent Scotland, with 39 per cent against and 12 per cent "don't know".
SNP leader Alex Salmond hailed the poll as further evidence of support for his party's main objective. He said: "There is a powerful pro-independence tide flowing north and south of the Border. Both countries now have majorities in favour of independence. What we need is a new 21st-century partnership between Scotland and England based on equality and mutual respect.
"That will be much more positive for both nations than the present hotchpotch of confusion and resentment."
Today's poll comes just days after another survey put the SNP ahead of Labour in both the constituency and list votes for May's Scottish Parliament elections.
The latest survey also found that, failing independence, a majority in both countries believed that England should have a parliament of its own deciding on English affairs, without any involvement of Scottish MPs.
Meanwhile, 53 per cent of the English and 47 per cent of those in Scotland thought MPs representing Scottish seats in the House of Commons should be barred from voting on laws only affecting England and Wales. Thirty-eight per cent of the English, and 41 per cent of Scottish people thought they should have the right to vote. Nine per cent of the English and 12 per cent of Scots did not know.
There was also majority backing in both countries for England to have its own First Minister.
The survey was commissioned ahead of next week's 300th anniversary of the ratification of the treaty which united the two countries. Mr Salmond said: "Scots are tired of remote control from London, and devolution has made them realise that it's time to have a real parliament with real powers. In England, people quite rightly resent Scottish Labour MPs bossing them about on English domestic legislation. England has as much right to self-government as Scotland."
But Murdo Fraser, deputy leader of the Scottish Tories, said he believed that the Union would survive. He said: "For 300 years the Union has been of mutual benefit to its members and when people sit down and look at the arguments coolly and rationally they will decide it is in our best interests to retain the Union."
A Scottish Labour Party spokesman said: "The one thing we can be sure of is that as we move closer to polling day and more people consider the serious consequences of breaking up Britain, the less popular independence parties will become."
Scottish Lib Dem leader Nicol Stephen said: "This poll has failed to ask about the option which is most popular with Scottish voters: the Liberal Democrat policy of giving more powers to the Scottish Parliament without separation - securing a modern settlement for Scotland as part of the UK, based on more federal principles."
Earlier this week, a poll for Channel 4 News put the SNP two points ahead of Labour in the constituency vote and five points ahead in the regional list vote.
An analysis suggested that would make the Nationalists the biggest party at Holyrood with 45 seats, compared to 42 for Labour, 18 Conservatives, 14 Lib Dems, seven Greens and three others.
SNP leader Alex Salmond called for an end to the "hotchpotch of confusion and resentment" after a poll found majority support in Scotland - as well as in England - for the countries to split.
The survey, published in the Daily Mail, also found that failing that, both countries believed that England should have a parliament of its own deciding on English affairs, without any involvement of Scottish MPs.
The survey was commissioned by the newspaper ahead of next week's 300th anniversary of the ratification of the treaty which united the two countries.
A majority of English and Scottish voters support splitting the two countries, a poll has shown.
The ICM survey published inÊFriday's Daily Mail showed 48 per cent of people in England, and 51 per cent in Scotland, back Scottish independence.
And a majority of 51 per cent and 58 per cent respectively think there should be an English parliament.
The poll was commissioned by the paper to mark the 300th anniversary of the Treaty of Union being passedÊby parliament.
Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond, responding to the findings, said: "There is a powerful pro-independence tide flowing north and south of the border.
"What we need is a new 21st-century partnership between Scotland and England based on equality and mutual respect.
"That will be much more positive for both nations than the present hotchpotch of confusion and resentment."
The poll also reflects badly on the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, with 48 per cent of English respondents and 40 per cent from Scotland saying it had made "no difference" north of the border.
Responding to the 'West Lothian Question', some 53 per cent in England said theyÊwould like to see Scottish MPs in Westminster banned from voting on England-only issues such as health and education.
And many voters would like to see Gordon Brown, expected to succeed Tony Blair as prime minister, hold an election either as soon as he takes office or after about a year.
Only 31 per cent of English respondents and 30 per cent in Scotland want the next prime minister to stay in office until the limit of the current parliamentary term in 2010.
SNP Leader, Mr Alex Salmond MP, has welcomed an ICM opinion poll in the Daily Mail today [Friday] which shows a majority of voters in Scotland and England favour Scottish Independence - 51% to 36% in favour in Scotland, and 48% to 39% in England; with clear majority support on both sides of the Border for and English parliament.
Commenting MrÊSalmondÊsaid:
"There is a powerful pro-independence tide flowing north and south of the Border.Ê Both countries now have majorities in favour of Independence.
"What we need is a new 21st century partnership between Scotland and England, based on equality and mutual respect.Ê That will be much more positive for both nations than the present hotchpotch of confusion and resentment.
The SNP are pledged to offer the people of Scotland the opportunity to choose Independence in a referendum within a four year term of government.
"Scots are tired of remote control from London, and the onset of devolution has made people realise that since we have a devolved parliament, it's time to have a real parliament with real powers.
"In England, people quite rightly resent Scottish Labour MPs bossing them about on English domestic legislation.Ê England has as much right to self-government as does Scotland.
"London politicians act out of naked self-interest. Labour wants to run England on Scottish votes, while English Tories want to keep Westminster's grip on Scottish resources.
"The people of both countries are now seeing through this charade, and supporting Independence and self-respect for both nations."
Scots are more enthusiastic about English people having control over their own affairs than the English, according to a new poll.
Asked if there should be a parliament for England and if England should have its own First Minister, Scots backed both ideas by two-to-one margins. There was majority support for English devolution among English people as well, but not by such wide margins.
The ICM poll, carried out earlier this month with 545 Scots - slightly more than half the usual sample size - found a strong backing for independence, by a 51% to 36% majority.
One explanation for that support is that the balance of opinion is towards believing Scotland would be better off by going it alone.
Among Scots, 36% believe Scotland would be better off, 33% believe it would be worse off and 22% think it would make no difference; this shows that Labour and other pro-union parties have work to do if they are to persuade people that separation would cost them.
Only 13% of English people think Scotland would be better off alone, but the lack of confidence in each other's independence prospects is reciprocated. Merely 8% of Scots think England would be better off without Scotland, while 40% think it would be worse off.
The balance of opinion among the 883 English people questioned in the survey was also for Scottish independence, by a 48% to 39% margin.
That may be partly because 62% of people in England believe it is wrong for government spending in Scotland to be higher than that in England, with 40% of Scots thinking likewise.
The sense that the UK faces a split in the near future is much higher in Scotland. Asked if part of it will break away within the next five years, 28% of Scots think this will happen compared with 15% of the English.
A sign of the changing political attitudes to independence was shown yesterday by a prominent right-wing columnist in Scottish newspapers, Katie Grant, who has spent much of the past 10 years arguing the unionist cause and rubbishing devolution.
Yesterday, she declared herself at the tipping point'' towards becoming a supporter of Scottish independence. She joins another former Conservative and political commentator, Michael Fry, who recently backed a split from the UK, with the same argument: that Scotland has become too dependent and this has sapped Scotland's spirit of entrepreneurship.
The poll shows a problem for Labour in justifying the continued power of its Scottish MPs to vote on English matters, and provides further ammunition for the opponents of Gordon Brown, as a Fife MP, taking over as Prime Minister later this year.
Among English people, 55% said Scots MPs should not hold ministerial posts where they make policy only for England and Wales, while 36% told pollsters they thought the current system should remain.
The poll was carried out for a national newspaper.
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