More than half of all Scottish voters want independence, according to a brand new poll.
The survey, the first since Boris Johnson became Prime Minister, puts support for a Yes vote at 46% against 43%. Once don't knows are removed, support for independence rises to 52%.
And, in what will be a blow to Unionist politicians who have long claimed there is no appetite for a second vote, 47% of voters told pollsters they want indyref2 in the next two years.
The poll, commissioned by former Tory donor, Lord Ashcroft, and published jointly by Holyrood magazine and Conservative Home, is the first to have a lead for independence since March 2017.
Much of the shift to yes comes from Labour voters, and Remain supporters.
Around 18% of those who voted No in 2014, said they would vote Yes now, though 10% of those who voted Yes in 2014 said they would now vote No.
Unsurprisingly, more than 90% Tory voters are opposed to a second referendum.
Responding to the poll, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:“This is a phenomenal poll for the independence movement — showing that more and more people think it’s time that Scotland took our own decisions and shaped our own future as a fair, prosperous, outward looking nation."
She added: “A broken Westminster system means Scotland is being dragged towards a No Deal Brexit, regardless of the heavy price we’ll pay for lost jobs and lower living standards. That project is being led by Boris Johnson — a Prime Minister Scotland didn’t elect and who has no mandate to tear Scotland out of Europe with all the damage that will entail.
“The Scottish Government, by contrast, has a very clear mandate from the people of Scotland — to give them the choice of a better future with independence.
“It would be a democratic outrage for any Tory government to deny that, and this poll shows such an anti-democratic position is completely unsustainable."
Scottish Greens Co-Leader Patrick Harvie said: “It’s time that the people of Scotland were given a choice over their future.
“We didn’t vote for Brexit, we didn’t vote for a Tory government and I’m certain that given the choice we wouldn’t have voted for Boris Johnson either, yet we are being dragged along with the ever increasing Brexit catastrophe, so its no wonder that a majority of Scots now recognise the need for us to make an exit from Boris Johnson’s Brexit Britain.
“We already have a mandate to hold an independence referendum, yet the Tory Government has threatened to block a request. This would be an affront to democracy, and is wholly untenable in the face of public support for a vote.
“It’s time for Scotland to retake our place as an independent European nation.”
Overall, a majority of Scots said that if a second independence referendum were to be held, they believed that Scotland would become independent .
Just a third of those polled thought Scotland would vote to remain part of the UK.
A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: "Taking Scotland back to another divisive referendum on independence is not the way forward and the Scottish Conservatives will oppose it every step of the way.
"It is time for us all to focus on what matters - growing our economy, and sorting out the mess the SNP is making of our education system and the NHS."
The poll also reveals strong support for a second EU referendum, backed by 69% SNP voters, more than half of Labour voters and one in five Tories.
If there was a second EU referendum, 67% of those polled said they would vote to remain.
42% of those asked said they would prioritise the Union, while 45% said they would prioritise the EU.
Asked to rate the new Prime Minister, while Scots thought he wasn't very good, he still ranked above Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard, UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage.
Asked whether Johnson or Corbyn would make the best prime minister, 29% named Johnson, while 23% said Corbyn.
Fewer than four in ten of 2017 Labour voters said they thought Corbyn would make the best Prime Minister.
The poll was based on a sample size of 1,019, and was conducted online between 30 July and 2 August.
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