Most voters in Scotland want a new referendum on the independence of this British nation, reflecting the loopholes born of Brexit and increasing pressure on Boris Johnson to accept such a vote.
According to a survey released on Sunday Sunday Times, 50% of Scottish voters are in favor of holding an independence referendum. Excluding unspecified, 52% of respondents supported independence.
The published poll also shows that 51% of voters in Northern Ireland want a referendum on Irish reunification, showing another rift in state unity.
Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who is also the leader of SNP separatists, has been pleading for months to hold a referendum on Scottish independence, after losing from his camp in 2014 when 55% of Scots said “no” to independence.
She specifically calls for Brexit, which was against the will of the majority Scots, as an argument to separate from the United Kingdom. It hopes that Scotland, once independent, can eventually join the European Union.
While the British voted 51.9% for Brexit in 2016, the Scots were 62% to leave the European Union.
But the decision to hold a new referendum rests with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who strongly refuses.
“Boris Johnson is clearly afraid of the decision of the Scottish people”, Nicola Sturgeon condemned, interviewed on the BBC on Sunday.
A strong SNP victory in local elections next May will increase pressure on London to accept a new consultation. John Curtis, UK election expert has predicted that the SNP will come out on top and gain seven seats from 2016.
The SNP has unveiled a ‘road map for the referendum’, indicating that there will be a ‘legal referendum’ following the election, with the Scottish Parliament having a pro-independence majority in the parliament. The party said it would “vigorously” oppose any legal challenge by the British government.
When asked about the denial of London and the possibility of holding a consultative referendum after the election, Nicola Sturgeon said she wanted a “legal referendum”.
“The question is not what I want or what Boris Johnson wants, it’s about what the Scots want and more and more evidence that they want freedom,” he said.