Poll: Scots unenthusiastic about further devolution

Just 11% of voters wanted more powers transferred to Westminster to Holyrood, while 16% wanted the Scottish Parliament abolished entirely.

Another 17% were content with the current level of devolution, while 37% preferred independence.

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Ballot Box Scotland: Further devolution is 'almost nobody’s preferred outcome'

Allan Faulds from Ballot Box Scotland said the poll suggests Labour could face a “constitutional conundrum".

“Push forward with more powers for the Scottish Parliament, and risk antagonising the majority of pro-Union voters who don’t want that," he said.

“Fail to do so, and risk antagonising the many pro-independence voters the party has won back.

“Kick off the kind of substantive, meaningful discussion necessary to build support, and good luck preventing that from growing arms and legs to become just another Independence vs Union flashpoint.”

(Image: Ballot Box Scotland)

When voters were given a binary choice between further devolution and leaving the settlement as it is, 40% wanted more power while 35% were content with what is already in place.

When asked if they would back further devolution or independence, the numbers changed to 45% for more power to 36% for leaving the UK, with 19% unsure.

Mr Faulds said that meant that further devolution was “in the curious position of being almost nobody’s preferred outcome, but a tolerable middle ground for most.”

When asked about the concept of a federal UK, just 20% said they would support it, compared to 25% who are opposed.

Another 27% said they would neither support or oppose it, and 29% said they did not know.

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 Poll: Quarter of Scots seats are on a knife edge

On Thursday, The Herald and Ballot Box Scotland shared the first part of the poll, which showed that support for independence remained static.

When asked the questions voters were asked in 2014, "Should Scotland be an independent country?" 46% of Scots said Yes, compared to 54% who said No.

However, our poll suggests that when the question is asked slightly differently, there is a small change in how people respond.

When asked if Scotland Scotland should be part of the United Kingdom or if Scotland should be an independent country, 57% opted for the union and 43% backed leaving.

Mr Faulds said: “Interestingly, framing the constitutional question a bit differently from the established Yes No format, by asking voters to choose explicitly between being part of the United Kingdom or being an Independent country, did move the dial slightly towards the Union.

“As a matter of balance, that may be a better framing, and I've long been of the view any IndyRef rerun would be unlikely to reuse Yes No.

“However, it is important not to exaggerate the difference. Apart from anything else, an active campaign period is likely to leave voters pretty clear on what the options are.

“Framing will matter, and should be as fair as possible, but it's unlikely to be what swings it for either side."

In Labour’s Scottish manifesto, the party said they were “committed to reforming how government operates in Scotland".

However, there were no promises of any new powers coming to Edinburgh.

Earlier this week, the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), said the party needed to support the devolution of immigration and employment laws.

General Secretary Roz Foyer said: “From strengthening workers’ rights to taxing wealth and investing in our public services, our General Election demands are straightforward and achievable. There can be no half-measures from candidates; if they seek our vote they must pledge their support.

“The next UK Government, which polls suggest will be a Labour one, must heed the call of workers in Scotland to devolve further powers to the Scottish Parliament on employment and migration in addition to pledging further investment in our green economy, creating up to 367,000 jobs in the Low Carbon and Renewable Energy economy.”

The first part of our poll put support for Labour at 37%, with the SNP behind on 31%.

The research, carried out between June 21 and 25, had the Tories on 14%, with Reform UK on 8%, ahead of the Liberal Democrats on 7%.

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Ballot Box Scotland: What our poll reveals about next week's election

Yesterday, Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross, who is in a tight battle for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, cautioned supporters tempted by Nigel Farage’s outfit.

He told PA: “If people are thinking about supporting smaller parties – like Labour, the Liberal Democrats or Reform – they risk electing an SNP politician.”

He said some Reform candidates had made “atrocious” remarks and others had admitted supporting Scottish independence.

Mr Ross continued: “Some people may be considering not voting at all, or voting Reform or for the other smaller parties in those constituencies.

“They need to know and understand the risk of doing that is electing a nationalist MP obsessed with independence.”