In what is another hurdle to British Prime Minister Theresa May’s plan to negotiate a Brexit plan based on consensus, a new poll suggests that over 47% of Scotland’s citizens will vote for independence if the UK formalises its exit from the European Union. Presently, Scotland constitutes a part of the UK, a union that also includes England, Northern Ireland and Wales.
The new poll also suggested that like Scotland, 52% of Northern Ireland’s citizens will vote to leave the UK and merge with Ireland in order to stay within the European Union.
This would be a significant reversal of the verdict in 2014 when the Scottish referendum for independence had led to Scotland remaining in the Union.
The poll, conducted by Deltapoll, a member of the British Polling Council has met with varied reactions from across political quarters. While a few MPs of the ruling conservative party have dismissed the poll, others have shared concern and even, alarm.
While the Best for Britain Chief Executive has called for the government to stop and contemplate Brexit again, Stephen Gethins MP has suggested that a bad Brexit deal will only increase calls for Scottish independence.
More significantly, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has called out the UK government of being too obsessed with Brexit and has impliedly suggested that Scotland conduct a second referendum on the issue to ‘put the future of our country in our own hands.’
The calls for Scottish independence will only be another in a long list of troubles facing PM Theresa May as she seeks a Brexit deal that will pacify both her critics in Westminster, as well as EU negotiators, who have been trying to set an example of the UK.
