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Economist
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Another Poll. Another majority for independence.http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=61762007
| Quote: | SCOTTISH Nationalists were given a boost today by a new poll showing a majority of people both north and south of the Border want an independent Scotland.
The ICM survey found 51 per cent of Scots backed independence, with 36 per cent against and 14 per cent "don't know". In England, 48 per cent said they would like to see an independent Scotland, with 39 per cent against and 12 per cent "don't know".
SNP leader Alex Salmond hailed the poll as further evidence of support for his party's main objective. He said: "There is a powerful pro-independence tide flowing north and south of the Border. Both countries now have majorities in favour of independence. What we need is a new 21st-century partnership between Scotland and England based on equality and mutual respect.
"That will be much more positive for both nations than the present hotchpotch of confusion and resentment."
Today's poll comes just days after another survey put the SNP ahead of Labour in both the constituency and list votes for May's Scottish Parliament elections.
The latest survey also found that, failing independence, a majority in both countries believed that England should have a parliament of its own deciding on English affairs, without any involvement of Scottish MPs.
Meanwhile, 53 per cent of the English and 47 per cent of those in Scotland thought MPs representing Scottish seats in the House of Commons should be barred from voting on laws only affecting England and Wales. Thirty-eight per cent of the English, and 41 per cent of Scottish people thought they should have the right to vote. Nine per cent of the English and 12 per cent of Scots did not know.
There was also majority backing in both countries for England to have its own First Minister.
The survey was commissioned ahead of next week's 300th anniversary of the ratification of the treaty which united the two countries. Mr Salmond said: "Scots are tired of remote control from London, and devolution has made them realise that it's time to have a real parliament with real powers. In England, people quite rightly resent Scottish Labour MPs bossing them about on English domestic legislation. England has as much right to self-government as Scotland."
But Murdo Fraser, deputy leader of the Scottish Tories, said he believed that the Union would survive. He said: "For 300 years the Union has been of mutual benefit to its members and when people sit down and look at the arguments coolly and rationally they will decide it is in our best interests to retain the Union."
A Scottish Labour Party spokesman said: "The one thing we can be sure of is that as we move closer to polling day and more people consider the serious consequences of breaking up Britain, the less popular independence parties will become."
Scottish Lib Dem leader Nicol Stephen said: "This poll has failed to ask about the option which is most popular with Scottish voters: the Liberal Democrat policy of giving more powers to the Scottish Parliament without separation
- securing a modern settlement for Scotland as part of the UK, based on more federal principles."
Earlier this week, a poll for Channel 4 News put the SNP two points ahead of Labour in the constituency vote and five points ahead in the regional list vote.
An analysis suggested that would make the Nationalists the biggest party at Holyrood with 45 seats, compared to 42 for Labour, 18 Conservatives, 14 Lib Dems, seven Greens and three others. |
This journalist doesn't seem to know what constitutes a majority. But 51% of Scots is one, at least.
Interesting to see the fall in support for the Union, at just over a third of Scottish respondents. Given this poll and the one earlier in the week, Labour must be bricking it, as the signs are their Stalinist grip over Scotland might be ending. And According to Alf Young in the Herald, quoting one of his Labour associates about the Labour election campaign preparations:
| Quote: | | It's not a calamity, it's worse than that |
http://www.theherald.co.uk/featur...tures/display.var.1118563.0.0.php
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Avatar
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I read a good joke today.
Two kids are playing in the school yard, one of them asks the other "Who would you prefer to have as the First Minister - Alex Salmond or Jack McConnell?"
The other kid replies "Jack McConnell! My mum says if he becomes First minister again we're moving to Australia"
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Economist
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I mean Labour can't even get their act together, re their election campaign, plus the fact the party is two shades away from being bankrupt, yet they want us to entrust them with the governance of the country! 
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IF Convenor
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Re: Another Poll. Another majority for independence. | Economist wrote: | | This journalist doesn't seem to know what constitutes a majority. But 51% of Scots is one, at least. |
In opinion polls, the "don't knows" are discarded as they wouldn't actually vote in a ballot. So that makes the vote in Scotland 51/(51+36) or 59% and in England it is 48/(48+39) or 55%. That's a majority in both cases.
Interesting to note that when you include the "don't knows" the Scottish numbers add up to 51+36+14=101% and the English numbers add up to 48+39+12=99%. Somebody seems to be having trouble with sums.
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SLG
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I thought the headline in the Herald was "Poll finds Scots support parliament for England". Surely of secondary importance to its Scottish readership.
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Maol.Chaluim
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Re: Another Poll. Another majority for independence. | IF Convenor wrote: | | Economist wrote: | | This journalist doesn't seem to know what constitutes a majority. But 51% of Scots is one, at least. |
In opinion polls, the "don't knows" are discarded as they wouldn't actually vote in a ballot. So that makes the vote in Scotland 51/(51+36) or 59% and in England it is 48/(48+39) or 55%. That's a majority in both cases.
Interesting to note that when you include the "don't knows" the Scottish numbers add up to 51+36+14=101% and the English numbers add up to 48+39+12=99%. Somebody seems to be having trouble with sums. |
Probably due to rounding the figures... 
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SouthernJock
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Its becoming hilarious, when you consider The Evening News prints this on Friday 12th on a pol by ICM and on Tuesday its sister paper the Scotsman prints something entirely different again based on a ICM poll
or is the Scotsman puting a different spin on it
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