THE appetite for indyref2 is growing and many people want it much sooner rather than later, according to one of Scotland’s SNP MPs.
Martyn Day, who represents Linlithgow and East Falkirk, was encouraged by the poll and by the fact that it was taken outside of a campaigning period.
“It certainly confirms what we’re seeing on the doorsteps, that more people are open to considering the idea of independence and I think we could have a much better level of support than that once we get campaigning properly on independence,” said Day.
“We’re out every week, but let’s not kid ourselves it’s hardly a campaign, we’re just picking up on what people are saying to us rather than going for serious numbers.
“We’re identifying people we’ll go back to once we start serious campaigning but what we’re doing isn’t moving the numbers it’s the negative campaigning from the other side that’s got us to where we are. Once we start the positive campaign it will reap rewards.”
Although he was happy with a referendum by 2021, some people “want it tomorrow”.
“There are a lot of people who want it now, no question. They’re probably a very significant part of our core vote – if not a majority of them – and we have to manage those expectations.
“I think it’s going to be sooner rather than later just because of the way the UK’s going – I don’t think they’re going to have to wait that long. I think the appetite is for before 2021.
“If we are jumping off the cliff-edge of a no-deal Brexit later this year I think that truncates the whole process and necessitates us being earlier than that.”
He said the wider public, where they were open to voting for independence, were starting to ask the same questions they had asked in 2014 – can we afford it and so we have the resources?
“They just want that bit of reassurance. It’s almost like we’re going back to ground zero again to convince this wave of people who are coming over for the first time.”
READ MORE: SNP figures speak out on Scottish Independence poll
Day said there were very few areas where the SNP was not winning support: “We were out on Saturday in Slamannan – our folk are solid and there’s a lot of Labour people want independence and I would say a majority of the unaligneds want independence. We’re just not winning the Tory and the Orange vote.
“I’m always an optimist and I’m of the opinion that a lot of these people are the status quo brigade and if you go a decade into the future there’ll be a new status quo and who knows what their views will be then?”
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