Herald poll: Scotland should have independence referendum after Brexit

It also found they overwhelmingly feel Brexit should now just be binned and not renegotiated.

The survey - which consisted of 337 Herald audience panel members - was conducted on Wednesday, the day after MPs voted by 432 votes to 202 to reject Theresa May's negotiated Brexit deal, which set out the terms of Britain's exit from the EU on March 29.

Nearly three out of four (72.32%) felt Brexit should not now go ahead, just over 70% said it should be stopped, while around two in three (66.17%) did not feel it should even be renegotiated.

And a majority (56.55%) think Scotland should have a vote on whether to remain within the United Kingdom if Britain goes ahead and leaves the EU on March 29. With the current impasse it could be a disorderly 'no deal' Brexit.

READ MORE: Theresa May's Brexit deal suffers historic Commons defeat

Scotland voted against independence in 2014 but a subsequent referendum on leaving the EU has reignited debate over its longterm future.

The Herald analysis also showed 58.93% were in favour of a second referendum or People's Vote over Brexit.  Slightly fewer (56.38%) were not in favour of a general election.

The support for a second independence referendum comes after the First Minister suggested details of the timetable for a second Scottish independence referendum would be revealed within "weeks".

The First Minister, who was at Westminster to meet with SNP MPs, said an extension of Article 50 and a People’s Vote were the only realistic options to break the Brexit deadlock.

But she added: “I’ll say more about the timing of a referendum in the next matter of weeks.

“I want to see the UK stay in the EU, I think that would be best for the whole of the UK... even when Scotland is independent, that serves our interests best as well. That’s why we’re backing the People's Vote, the second EU referendum.

“But if that’s not possible, in terms of our wider interests, the chaos and the fiasco of the last couple of years have shown that the worst thing for Scotland is to be thirled to Westminster when it’s making such a mess of things. We’d be far better off in charge of our own affairs.”

The Prime Minister warned at the start of the week that a no-deal Breixt would fuel demands for a second Scottish vote.

READ MORE: David Mundell faces fresh calls to resign over Brexit vote

Addressing MPs to present assurances on the Irish border backstop issued by the EU on Monday, the Prime Minister said that no deal was the “real threat to our Union”.

Herald readers also took the chance to have their say over the current Brexit impasse.

One called Brexit a "complete mess, fabricated by the English Conservatives out of the deep division over Europe that have always existed in the party."

The reader added: "The concerns of Scots are, as usual, being completely ignored and ridden roughshod over. Sooner we free ourselves of this motley crew of pig-headed idiots, the better."

Another said he public were not informed of all information prior to the referendum. The reader added: "Scotland decidedly voted against leaving. Only now near the deadline have we been aware of the pitfalls. Total disaster."

Another said: "Scotland should have an independence referendum and negotiate our own relationship with Europe. Brexit is England's issue."

Commenting on the poll, George Adam, the chief whip for the Parliamentary Group of SNP MSPs said: “It comes as no real surprise that a survey shows a majority would back a new independence referendum, while Theresa May continues to side-line Scotland’s best interests in her failed Brexit negotiations.
 

“In the last referendum the No campaign clearly stated that a No vote meant staying in the EU with Scotland as an equal partner in the UK. Events since June 2016 have shown those promises have not been respected.
 
“Brexit negotiations have been a disaster – and it’s a disaster imposed on Scotland despite our overwhelming vote to Remain.
 
“With 59% of those surveyed also supporting a second EU referendum, it’s time the Labour party got behind plans to let voters have their say on this Brexit chaos that promises to devastate jobs and businesses throughout Scotland.”

Here are a selection of other comments.

"Scotland needs to focus on regaining its stability. One divisive referendum after the divisive Brexit chaos and austerity disaster will lead us away from the sense of community that makes Scotland great. But eventually I hope we will choose a friendly independence from the UK."

"Scotland voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU. We were lied to in the run-up to indyref (a) when told the only way to stay in the EU was to vote No; and (b) that only remaining in the UK would give Scotland 'strong and stable government'. Now the entire UK economy faces a prolonged downturn thanks to irreconcilable divisions primarily in England, and to those voters who were naive enough to believe what Boris & co put on the sides of their bus. We desperately need the lifeboat of independence to avoid being sucked down by the Westminster Titanic.

Scotland has always been more tolerant and international in its outlook than so many of the xenophobes down south."

Withdrawing the article 50 letter seems the only reasonable course of action for parliament to take. I don't support independence for Scotland but if Brexit goes ahead without any form of close working with the EU then I think it would be legitimate for the SNP to try and gain a new referendum on independence.

If they then try to gain EU membership they will never succeed as long as Spain has the Catalan problem to deal with and France will be wary of Breton and Basque attempts to go independent. One party's mess has created a bigger mess for the UK and all of us are going to suffer because of it."

"I don't think any of the current 'leaders' are up to the job of actually leading the country. As for independence, why rid yourself of England only to be ruled by Europe? Scotland would have no influence if we stayed in Europe on our own. Nicola Sturgeon is deluded if she thinks otherwise. If she wants independence then do it.

If there was a strong Labour leader he or she would've capitalised on the tories failure, but there isn't what we have as Labour leader is someone who thinks he's at a university debating group, and we need a leader and unfortunately for the country we don't have one."

"Finding a workable route through Westminster is an unsolvable conundrum. With the risk of a hard Brexit increasing the only answer is to delay Article 50 and have a public vote on Brexit asap. Whatever happens independence for Scotland looks more likely. Do we really want to be governed by that shower?"

"Brexit has always been about appeasing the Tory party's backward looking right wing and it was always going to precipitate a crisis. The pity is that now the crisis is here, Labour is also divided and still finds itself in the hands of an ineffective, elderly and backward looking leader who looks increasingly unlikely to provide the inspirational leadership needed to unite his party and the country.

The other worry is that if if we crash out without a deal or we somehow get Brexit delayed or cancelled, the extremists on the right will take to the streets. Right now the politician who sounds most statesmanlike to me is Nicola Strurgeon - all the more remarkable as I have been a life long Labour voter and at heart a unionist, but if it comes down to a union with a dysfunctional England, I will vote to take Scotland out of the UK and, as soon as possible, back into the EU."

"We should leave without a deal and a year from now we will be wondering what all the fuss was about. The currency and stock market will stabilise before too long and Europe will still be selling their goods to us without a need for higher tariffs. What is this continuing irrationality in Scotland about not wanting to be 'ruled' by Westminster but to be 'ruled' by Brussels?"

"I think time has long come for Scotland to remove itself from this shambles and go a better way into the future."

"I cannot resign from my Bowling Club and then expect to play under my own rules!!"

"Scotland’s opinion, from the Scottish parliament and the outcome of the EU referendum, has been consistently ignored. There should be a further opportunity to give our views."