Support for Scottish independence has slid to just 42 per cent, the lowest level since the last general election, a poll suggests.
The Savanta Comres survey, for the Scotsman, suggests that if a referendum were to be held tomorrow the results would be similar to the 2014 poll when No took 55.3% of the vote.
It also forecasts that support for SNP is slipping - and that the party will not achieve a majority at Holyrood next month.
The poll of 1,001 adults found 42% would back independence, 49% support a No vote and 8% were undecided and removing the undecideds would lead to a 54/46 split in favour of No.
Back in December 2019, 38% of those polled by YouGov for the Times backed independence with the lead for Yes as high as 13% in an Ipsos MORI/STV poll in October 2020.
The poll found support for independence waning
Other findings in the survey suggest the Scottish National Party will lose two seats when compared with 2016 and be four seats short of a majority.
Douglas Ross’s Scottish Conservatives were comfortably in second place ahead of Scottish Labour. The pro-union party were predicted to see 23 per cent of voters back them on the constituency list, with 22 per cent of voters backing the party on the list.
READ MORE: Scottish independence — Lord Ashcroft poll finds 51% No versus 49% Yes
Such a result would see Mr Ross sent to Holyrood as leader with a total of 28 MSPs, down three from their result of 31 under Ruth Davidson.
Scottish Labour are the most improved party in the constituency vote, with 23 per cent of voters saying they would back the party.
This, alongside a higher regional list voting intention of 19 per cent, up two points, would see new leader Anas Sarwar returned to Holyrood with 24 MSPs – exactly the same number as in 2016.
Should the result after May 6 match this poll, the Scottish Greens will see their record result at any Holyrood election with 10 per cent of the regional list vote.
Such a result would see the party return 11 MSPs, up from the six elected in 2016.
The poll sees support approaching 2014 levels
If next months result matchs the poll, it would also be enough for a clear pro-independence majority in Holyrood, though would fall short of a two-thirds ‘super-majority’ of 86 MSPs.
Support for Alex Salmond’s Alba party is at just 2 per cent of the regional list, up one point, with the former first minister failing to be elected back to the Scottish Parliament.
The Scottish Liberal Democrats are set to re-elect five MSPs, with 7 per cent of the constituency vote (up one point) and 5 per cent of the regional list vote (no change).
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon's SNP majority threatened as Alex Salmond's Alba Party could take key votes
Chris Hopkins, associate director at Savanta ComRes told the Scotsman: “The direction of travel has been clear in the last few polls, with support for both independence and the SNP dropping ahead of the May elections. What this is down to remains unclear.
“It seems that the two major unionist parties, the Conservatives and Labour, have somewhat – but by no means completely – got their act together.
“This, coupled with a potentially more fragmented pro-independence List vote, means the SNP may fall short of their majority and not give Nicola Sturgeon the unequivocal mandate for a second independence vote that she so clearly craves.”
Meanwhile, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross will warn the “very future of our country is at stake” in a speech on Thursday.
Douglas Ross
A pro-independence majority will mean the country would “move straight from a Scottish Parliament election campaign into a second referendum campaign”, Mr Ross will claim.
Reacting to the poll, Scottish National Party Depute Leader Keith Brown: “This poll confirms the election result is on a knife-edge in terms of whether the SNP secures a majority.
“The only guaranteed way to ensure Nicola Sturgeon is re-elected as First Minister, to put recovery in our own hands and to prevent Boris Johnson from deciding Scotland’s future is to give both votes to the SNP on May 6th.”
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