May 23, 2008

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - People in Scotland hold different views on whether the area should fully separate from the United Kingdom, according to a poll by Scottish Opinion released by STV. 31 per cent of respondents think Scotland should become independent, while 43 per cent disagree. One-in-four of respondents are not sure.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - People in Scotland hold different views on whether the area should fully separate from the United Kingdom, according to a poll by Scottish Opinion released by STV. 31 per cent of respondents think Scotland should become independent, while 43 per cent disagree. One-in-four of respondents are not sure.

The Kingdom of Scotland was an independent state until May 1, 1707, when the Acts of Union established the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

In 2005, British voters renewed the House of Commons. Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Alex Salmond launched his party’s campaign on Apr. 6—the anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath. The statement—tabled in 1320—includes a commitment to Scotland’s sovereignty. Salmond said he wants Scotland to "stand in equality with the other countries of the world." The SNP won six of Scotland’s 59 seats in the lower house of the British Parliament.

In a 1997 referendum, voters in Scotland supported the creation of a legislative assembly with tax varying powers. In May 2007, Scottish voters renewed their Parliament. The SNP finished in first place with 47 of the legislature’s 129 seats, followed by the Labour party with 46 mandates. Salmond became first minister in a 49-46 Scottish Parliament vote, with the support of the SNP and the Greens.

In order to call a referendum on Scotland’s independence, the SNP’s proposal must be supported by 65 legislators. In August, Salmond revealed that the SNP would move away from its original "one question referendum" and instead table a white paper to start a "national conversation" about the future of Scotland. The vote would take place before 2010. Labour leader Wendy Alexander expressed support for the referendum, drawing criticism from other Labour members for changing the party’s traditional policy on the issue.

In August 2007, the Scottish government introduced the "national conversation" website, which includes the white paper on independence titled "Choosing Scotland’s Future." Salmond described the document as "the starting point for the conversation and the people of Scotland can now carry it forward to reach an informed decision on their future."

On May 14, Salmond said his party will introduce legislation in the Scottish Parliament on Jan. 25, 2010, that would schedule a plebiscite on independence. Salmond referred to that day’s significance for being the birthday of Robert Burns—an 18th century poet and Scotland’s national icon—saying, "We are looking at Burns Day (...) because of the symbolism as a Scottish day."

Polling Data

Do you think Scotland should become an independent country?

Yes	31%
No	43%
Undecided	26%

Source: Scottish Opinion / STV
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,051 Scottish adults, conducted from May 6 to May 13, 2007. No margin of error was provided.