Gordon Brown: Independence calls from SNP are ‘out of touch’

The erosion of backing for her plan comes as Ms Sturgeon is facing mounting criticism over how she conducts her daily coronavirus briefings. The SNP leader has repeatedly been accused by numerous voices in politics and on social media of using the press conferences as platforms to whip up support for her party ahead of May’s Holyrood election.

A survey conducted by Survation showed just over half of Scots (52 percent) want to see Scotland leave the UK.

This marks a two percent drop since November.

And looking to next year’s election, respondents have slightly cooled off on the SNP’s policies, the poll showed.

In the constituency section of the vote, the SNP was given 53 percent.

This marked a one percent drop from last month.

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The Scottish Nationalist Party dismissed the fall in support and pointed out that the survey was the 16th consecutive poll showing a majority in favour of independence.

The ballot put the Tories and Labour neck and neck on 20 percent.

The Liberal Democrats are on 6 percent, with 1 percent of respondents saying they will vote for another party.

In the regional section of the ballot, support for the SNP is 41 percent, down one point from November.

Backing for Labour is up one point to 20 percent, with support for the Tories increasing by the same amount to 18 percent.

Despite the slight fall in support for independence, SNP deputy leader Keith Brown said the cause had become the “settled will of the people”.

He said: “Once again, a poll shows that independence is becoming the settled will of the people of Scotland, now with 16 polls in a row showing majority support.

“An independence referendum will be the choice of the people of Scotland and they will make that decision at the ballot box in May, not Boris Johnson.”

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Mr Brown added: “The SNP will take nothing for granted and continue to work hard to gain the trust of voters ahead of the Scottish election in 2021.

“However, these polls continue to show that the people of Scotland believe our best interests are served as an independent country.”

A total of 1,018 people aged 16 or over took part in the survey from December 4 to 9.

Indyref2: Sturgeon warned Scotland would 'suffer' by Miklinski

Despite Scotland facing its biggest public health crisis in a generation, Ms Sturgeon continues to push for another independence referendum.

She has declined to rule out another vote next year.

The SNP expects to perform strongly in next year’s Holyrood elections and will argue that the result is a mandate for another public vote.

In 2014 Scots rejected independence by 55 percent.

Brexit and the UK Government’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis are believed to have fuelled support for nationalism above the border.

Boris Johnson has repeatedly ruled out handing Ms Sturgeon another vote.

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