The majority of people in Scotland – encompassing both men and women, and including Labour voters – agree that sharing the pound in a currency union is in the interests of both Scotland and the rest of the UK, a new poll confirms today.
And the differential between those who agree and disagree about an independent Scotland using the pound in a currency union with the rest of he UK is greater among women than men.
Also, more people are more likely to vote Yes than No because of the Westminster parties’ opposition to sharing the pound and Bank of England in a currency union with an independent Scotland.
The Panelbase poll commissioned by Yes Scotland shows headline referendum voting intentions of 48% Yes to 52%, meaning a swing of only 2% would put Yes in the lead.
The poll asked:
* The UK Government can’t prevent an independent Scotland using the pound, but the Westminster political parties have all said that they would refuse to share the UK’s central bank, the Bank of England, with an independent Scotland in a currency union. Does this statement make you:
More likely to vote Yes: 28%
More likely to vote No: 25%
Unchanged: 48%
Both women and men are more likely to vote Yes:
MEN
More likely to vote Yes: 30%
More likely to vote No: 26%
Unchanged: 44%
WOMEN
More likely to vote Yes: 25%
More likely to vote No: 23%
Unchanged: 52%
* The Scottish Government has said that sharing the UK’s central bank in a currency union would be in the interests of both an independent Scotland and the rest of the UK. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Yes, I agree: 56%
No, I disagree: 23%
Don’t know: 21%
There is strong support among both men and women – and people who voted Labour in 2011 – for the Scottish Government’s stance. The differential is larger among women than men:
MEN
Yes, I agree: 58%
No, I disagree: 25%
Don’t know: 16%
WOMEN
Yes, I agree: 55%
No, I disagree: 20%
Don’t know: 25%
LABOUR VOTERS
Yes, I agree: 51%
No, I disagree: 26%
Don’t know: 23%
Welcoming the findings, Deputy First Minister and Yes Scotland Advisory Board member Nicola Sturgeon said: “These are extremely interesting findings, which help explain why the polls are steadily moving towards Yes.
“People in Scotland agree, by a margin of well over two-to-one, with the Scottish Government’s reasonable proposals to share the pound and the central bank in a currency union – which means Scotland being in charge of all our natural resources and tax and spending decisions. There is strong support for our currency proposals among women and men, and particularly among Labour voters.
“That is the right way forward for both Scotland and the rest of the UK. The poll also shows that the bullying of the Westminster parties continues to backfire, with more people being more likely to vote Yes because of it. The No campaign’s supposed trump card has indeed turned out to be a bluff.”
A YouGov poll for TheTimes today shows that support for Yes has risen by four points in a week, producing the highest level of support for a Yes yet in a YouGov survey. It finds that backing for Yes is at 43% and No at 57%, with undecided voters excluded, representing an eight point closing of the gap across two previous YouGov polls.
Blair Jenkins, Chief Executive of Yes Scotland, said: “This is the highest level of support for Yes in a YouGov poll so far, and is in keeping with the pattern of very significant movement to Yes recorded in the two other weekend polls, including the Panelbase poll which had Yes up at 48%, when undecided voters are excluded.
“Scotland is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. More and more people are waking up to the opportunity of Yes, and realising that this is Scotland’s chance to make that enormous wealth work better for everybody who lives and works here, and protect vital services such as the NHS from the damaging effects of Westminster privatisation.
“All three polls indicate clearly that with a month to go, support for Yes continues to rise and that our positive messages are getting across thanks to our tens of thousands of volunteers.”