A NEW poll shows that support for Scotland’s independence referendum has risen to 55% as Nicola Sturgeon seems poised to give a new impetus to leave the UK.
The SNP secured its 11th consecutive election victory on Friday, and the first minister is preparing to publish a referendum bill and a series of documents justifying independence.
And the latest Panelbase poll of 1,009 voters for The Sunday Times shows that it has more than enough support to vote.
It was found that almost a quarter of respondents (24%) support one in the next 12 months – five points more than 19% last November.
Meanwhile, 31% voted in favor of a referendum over the next two to five years, while 45% said no new vote should be held in the next few years.
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The survey supports independence itself unchanged since November – 49% of those who are likely to vote even when those who are undecided are excluded.
Given the undecided, 47% of respondents probably support independence, 49% are against and 5% do not know.
Sturgeon is still pushing for indeyref2 until the end of next year, although few believe it is possible as the UK government is firmly in opposition.
According to The Times, sources say the bill on the referendum should be published soon in order to meet the voting schedule by the end of 2023.
Senior SNP officials say the 2014 argument for independence is outdated. There are still questions about what currency an independent Scotland would adopt, defense policy and the time it may take to rejoin the EU, among others.
Independence policy documents to try to strengthen the case will be published in stages in the coming months.
The SNP won 453 seats in the local election, 22 more than in 2017 and a mile ahead of Labor, who finished second with 282 councilors, 20 more than five years ago.
Labor is ahead of the Conservatives, who have had a difficult day, losing 62 elected members, which leader Douglas Ross blamed on the party, although he called for the prime minister to step down over the scandal.
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Next week, party groups across the country will discuss whether to form partnerships or minority administrations that do not have a common majority, which was in all but a few areas.
The SNP won a majority in Dundee, while Labor secured a majority in West Dunbartonshire.
Visiting Dundee this weekend, Sturgeon said she is open to reproducing her agreement to share power with the SNP / Greens in Holyrood in the council chamber, but will leave the decisions to local leaders.
There has also been speculation that Labor could make a deal with the Greens in Glasgow after arriving at the scene of the SNP’s capture, but Anas Sarwar has already said he is against coalitions.
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