WIREDGOV

Political engagement remains higher than rest of UK.

New research from the University of Edinburgh suggests that most people in the UK now believe Scotland will become an independent country and eventually leave the UK.

The findings are taken from a survey of more than 7000 voters across Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland which asked people about a range of constitutional issues.

The majority of people across the four nations believe that Scotland will eventually leave the UK – 69 per cent in Scotland; 59 per cent in England; 54 per cent in Wales; and 59 per cent in Northern Ireland.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said:

“The Scottish Government continues to believe independence is the best option for Scotland, and the survey finds most Scots think this is where the constitutional journey will take us.

“We also believe strongly that Scotland being taken out of the EU in a referendum in circumstances, where a majority of Scots had voted to stay in, would be massively damaging economically and have major constitutional implications.

"The referendum on independence was a wonderful experience of democratic engagement, bringing people into politics who in some cases had not been involved in decades, if at all.

“I therefore welcome the findings that political engagement in Scotland is higher than in the rest of the UK, particularly among young people and that there remains a strong appetite for debate over the constitution. Scots are significantly more likely to say that they will vote in the 2015 Westminster election.”