THE first poll in a year showing a dip in support for independence has been criticised as being "not comparable" to previous polls and "not properly weighted".
A Savanta ComRes survey of 1015 Scots Scots suggests 46% would vote against Scottish independence, compared to 43% in favour and 10% who are undecided.
When unsure voters are excluded, the poll for the Scotland on Sunday newspaper indicates a slight drop in Yes support with 48% in favour of independence and 52% in favour of the Union.
With polling taking place on March 4 and 5, it is the first survey to be carried out since First Minister Nicola Sturgeon gave evidence to the Holyrood inquiry into the mishandling of harassment complaints against former First Minister Alex Salmond.
However, the SNP have said the poll should be "treated with caution" due to the figures released not being properly weighted for voter turnout. Further polling in the coming week is expected to show a clearer impact
Commenting on the poll, SNP depute leader Keith Brown MSP said: “With Scotland on Sunday/Savanta Comres themselves stating that this poll is not comparable to previous polls and has not been properly weighted, it should be treated with caution. However unlike other parties, the SNP never takes the voters, their support or their support for independence for granted."
Associate director for Savanta ComRes, Chris Hopkins, admitted on the poll's release that, despite increased awareness in the inquiry, there has not been a "great impact" on Salmond and Sturgeon.
Hopkins said: “Although awareness of the Salmond inquiry has unsurprisingly increased since December, it’s not to say that the story has had a great impact on its protagonists, with those who say that they trust both Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond more and less now increasing by virtually the same proportions.
“With only a fifth of 2014 No voters less likely to support independence because of the saga, its impact on the First Minister doesn’t look to be catastrophic – for now.”
Carried out in the two days after the current First Minister appeared before the committee, the survey found 35% of respondents said the inquiry was making them less likely to vote for independence.
Another 16% said the inquiry was making them more likely to vote Yes, with 41% saying it had made no difference
According to the poll, 43% said their trust in Sturgeon had fallen due to the inquiry.
But trust in Salmond has fallen even more, with 57% stating believing him less than before the inquiry began.
The Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints was set up after Salmond successfully challenged the lawfulness of the Government’s investigation of him.
The former SNP leader was awarded a £512,250 payout after it emerged the investigating officer was found to have had prior contact with two of the female complainers.
At Edinburgh’s Court of Session, Lord Pentland described the investigation as “unlawful” and “tainted by apparent bias” after the Government conceded the judicial review the week before the case was due to be heard in court.
In the wake of the collapsed case, Salmond has claimed there was a “malicious” plot to prolong the Government’s defence of the flawed investigation in the hope a looming criminal trial would “ride to the rescue” and spare them defeat in court.
He has also claimed his successor has broken the ministerial code in relation to the judicial review and by allegedly misleading Parliament about when she first knew of the allegations against him.
Sturgeon was questioned over eight hours by the committee on Wednesday about her role in the botched investigation.
She told MSPs she “would never have wanted to ‘get’ Alex Salmond” and condemned the “absurd suggestion that anyone acted with malice or as part of a plot” against her predecessor.
READ MORE: Treatment of Nicola Sturgeon at inquiry ‘backfires’ on opposition
Sturgeon also apologised to the women who complained about Salmond, saying they had been “failed” because of a “very serious mistake” in the Government’s investigation.
But she strenuously denied claims she broke the ministerial code by lying to Parliament, insisting she followed the advice of the Government’s law officers and stood by her recollection of meetings with Salmond and his former chief of staff.
Brown responded to concerns raised in the poll, saying: "We know we have work to do between now and election day and the SNP is looking forward to an election campaign where we will win support from across Scotland for our efforts to protect people from Covid, support Scotland’s NHS, create jobs, and make sure that as we recover from the pandemic, Scotland’s future is decided by the people who live here - not Boris Johnson’s Tory party.
“Voters want to see their politicians focussed on the recovery from the pandemic, the rollout of the vaccine which is on track to meet all targets, protection for our NHS, and getting people back to work - and that is what the SNP is doing.
"With more than 10,000 people having joined the SNP since Wednesday, people continue to put their faith and trust in the SNP and Nicola Sturgeon."
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