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The coronavirus crisis has been key to boosting Scottish independence in polls, according to Professor Sir John Curtice. The polling expert said the “question remains” whether that lead in opinion polls could fall once the coronavirus is no longer in the limelight. Speaking to RT, Sir John also explained that since the coronavirus has dominated the news, the key and controversial issues of independence such as a future border between Scotland and England “have not been debated.”
Eleven polls in a row have shown that the majority of Scots favor independence, marking a huge boost for Sturgeon and the SNP.
Sir John told RT that the jump in support may be related to the Scottish Prime Minister’s handling of the coronavirus crisis.
He said that “it appears to be a case that if Brexit is driving independence, COVID-19 is driving it further.”
The Politics professor said: “Before the pandemic, until the end of last year, all the increase in support for independence was occurring among the Remnant voters.”
FAIR IN: Poll guru John Curtice admits UK polls are FIXED against Tories
Sir John continued: “But, we’ve gone from 50 percent earlier this year, to now 11 polls in a row, putting Yes ahead with an average of 54 percent.
“This does not seem to have anything to do with Brexit because the most recent increase has occurred among both Stay and Leave voters. It is no longer Brexit specific.
“” Crucially, 20 per cent of people who voted No in 2014 said in a recent poll that, in fact, I think Scotland would have handled Covid better.
“That’s a hint that this has tipped them into the Yes field, and has generated the substantial advantage that the Yes field now enjoys.”
He explained: “For example, in 2014, there was no discussion about putting a border between Gretna and Berwick if Scotland was going to leave the UK.
“This time there will be because if an independent Scotland joined the EU, it would become a single market frontier.”
On Friday, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said the UK government intends to reject another independence referendum “for a generation”.
In a BBC interview, Jack suggested that a generation could be “25 or 40 years old.”
Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon accused him of a “rage against democracy” that would not prevail in blocking a second independence referendum.
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