A NEW opinion poll has found that support for independence enjoys a 2% lead over opposition to it, with support for independence on 44% and opposition to it on 42%.
This produces a hypothetical result of 51.2% Yes once don't knows are removed.
The poll, carried out by Redfield and Wilson, marks the first time that this polling company has recorded a majority for Yes since November 2022.
This polling company has a track record of reporting higher support for the Labour Party in Scotland than other polling companies, and this poll is no exception, reporting a Labour lead of 1% over the SNP in Westminster voting intention with Labour on 33% and the SNP on 32%.
This poll certainly shows that support for independence is continuing to hold up well despite the travails of the SNP and the media onslaught which the party has endured in recent months.
This demonstrates clearly that support for independence is independent of support for the SNP, and that the British nationalist strategy of attacking the SNP has failed and will continue to fail in its objective of reducing support for Scottish independence.
Irrespective of the electoral fortunes of the SNP, the question of Scottish independence is not going to go away, and the Labour and Conservative parties are merely storing up problems for themselves in the medium to longer-term if they believe that they can continue to ignore the issue and continue their attempts to restrict or bypass the powers of the Scottish Parliament.
It is noteworthy that this same poll also shows that support for the Conservatives in Scotland is continuing to hold up, despite the widespread unpopularity of the Tories reported in other polls, then the majority that this poll shows for Scottish independence becomes even more significant.
The true level of support for independence could in fact be even higher.
READ MORE: Row over 'racist' Labour candidate 'could damage party brand', expert says
The broader picture remains bleak for the future of Westminster rule in Scotland.
All polling companies consistently show that the only age cohort amongst which there is consistent majority opposition to independence is the oldest, and that majority support for independence becomes progressively higher the younger the age cohort.
Amongst younger voters, majority support for independence is overwhelming.
There is no evidence to suggest that younger people cease to support independence the older they get, so Westminster rule in Scotland is on borrowed time, resting on support from an older generation whose views were formed when a sense of a British identity was all-pervading and when the Scottish cringe was seen as common sense and not as the national psychological disease that it truly is.
As time passes, support for independence is only going to increase. It is not going to be affected by the level of support for the SNP and Labour and the Conservatives ignore it at their peril.
Elsewhere, The National is urging readers to lend their support to a petition calling on the Westminster Parliament to debate a UK family visa scheme for Palestinians displaced by the destruction and man-made famine which is being wrought on Gaza by Israel.
The campaign is calling on the UK Government to create a scheme like that already in place for Ukrainians which would allow Palestinians affected by the crisis in Gaza to seek refuge and reunite with their families in the UK.
By way of comparison, although Ukraine is massive in comparison to the tiny territory of Gaza, over 33,000 Palestinians, the great majority of whom are non-combatants, have been killed in Gaza since Israel's assault on the territory began, while an estimated 10,500 Ukrainian civilians have been killed since the Russians invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
READ MORE: Anas Sarwar defends Labour vetting process after 'racist' candidate suspended
Proportionately the scale of destruction in Gaza has been far greater, with a majority of houses in the north of the territory reported damaged or destroyed, Gaza's civilian infrastructure in ruins and the great majority of the population forced to flee, often multiple times.
Although of course there is very real need amongst Ukrainians and it is right that the British Government responded with a special visa scheme to allow Ukrainians affected by the war to seek refuge in Britain, it is hard to escape the conclusion that similar consideration is not being extended to Palestinians because they are not white Europeans from a traditionally Christian country.
The petition urges the government to take action and create a visa scheme that allows Palestinian individuals affected by war to be allowed into the UK, just like it did for Ukraine.
The Conservative Government currently has no plans to introduce a special visa scheme for Palestinians, saying those wishing to come to the UK who currently have no visa can apply under one of the existing visa routes.
These routes are exceptionally restrictive and require paperwork and resources not available to people whose homes have been destroyed and who are eking out a miserable existence in a tent encampment.
The Home Office has also repeatedly refused to waive fingerprint rules meaning that many resort, if possible, to making the dangerous and expensive journey over the border to Egypt to a UK visa centre in Cairo.
A spokesperson for the campaign said: “People in Gaza face insurmountable obstacles when trying to evacuate to Egypt and have received minimal - if any - support from the UK Government to do so.”
First Minister Humza Yousaf has also backed the campaign saying last month that for those who do wish to leave Gaza, Scotland “is open and stands ready to welcome them”.
Once the petition reaches 100,000 signatories the petition will be considered for debate in Parliament.
You can sign the petition here: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/648577
You can get The REAL Scottish Politics newsletter delivered straight to your email inbox for FREE every weekday at 7pm by signing up here.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel