
Most Europeans would support independent Scotland joining EU, poll finds
Support across these nations for Scotland to join the EU ranged from just under two-thirds (63%) to three-quarters (75%).
But across Great Britain – where more than 2,000 people were polled – less than half (46%) said they would back an independent Scotland being part of the EU, with 32% saying they would oppose this.
The research was carried out despite Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer having made clear he has no plans to allow a second vote on Scotland leaving the UK.
Just last month the Labour leader said having another ballot on the issue is not a 'priority' and he cannot imagine one taking place while he is in Downing Street.
And while the UK Government recently announced a new agreement with the EU, there is no prospect of the UK seeking to rejoin the trading block as things stand.
YouGov's research comes almost a decade on from the 2016 Brexit referendum, which saw the UK as a whole vote to leave the EU, while Scotland voted to remain.
The latest poll found 63% of French people surveyed would support an independent Scotland joining the EU, with only 13% opposed.
In Italy, 64% favour Scotland being allowed to join, with 11% against, broadly similar to Spain – where 65% said they would support an independent Scotland in the EU while 13% are opposed to this.
In Germany, support was higher at 68%, with only 10% of people polled against an independent Scotland being part of the EU, while in Denmark three-quarters (75%) of people back Scotland being part of the trading block, with 6% against this.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Record
22 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Unite boss slams Labour's handling of Grangemouth after removing Rayner's membership
Sharon Graham said the way the party had handled industrial issues had left members considering their relationship with Labour. The boss of one of the UK's largest unions has said Labour's handling of Grangemouth has added to members feeling disenfranchised with the party. Sharon Graham, general secretary of the Unite union, was defending the decision to remove Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner as a member over the lack of progress on the Birmingham bin worker dispute. Scottish delegates were among more than 800 members who voted to remove Rayner's membership and to reconsider its affiliation with Labour. Graham said: 'I have real difficulty with what they're doing about Grangemouth and the Lindsey oil refinery, and about oil and gas workers. 'Unite members are a microcosm of society and if you have people in Wales, in Scotland, all of our sectors effectively turning away from Labour, if I were Labour I wouldn't be trying to put up paltry defences to that, I'd be saying, 'What are we getting wrong?'.' The union leader said the process of disaffiliating with Labour had already started after members called for a review of the relationship, which saw their subs contribute more than £500,000 to the party last year. Seven Scottish Labour MPs have benefitted from Unite cash, receiving a total of £37,500 last year to help with their general election push. They are Glenrothes's Richard Baker, Glasgow North East MP Maureen Burke, Irene Campbell, MP for North Ayrshire and Arran, Edinburgh North MP Tracy Gilbert, Grangemouth MP Brian Leishman, Frank McNally of Coatbridge and Bellshill and Martin Rhodes, MP for Glasgow North. On BBC Radio 4's Today Graham said: 'This was a vote of members at the parliament of our union that were saying, 'We don't believe Labour defends workers in the way that we thought they would, we believe they are making the wrong decisions.' I would be concerned about that. "The disaffiliation part, the beginning, has started because the policy conference has said they want an examination of our relationship. Our members reflect society, what everyday people are saying. At a rules conference if our members vote to disaffiliate then yes [we will]. I'm under pressure to have an emergency rules conference which would mean we would disaffiliate.' In response to sources briefing that Rayner gave up membership in April, Graham said: 'If I was Angela Rayner I wouldn't be trying to do a Houdini act on whether technically she was or wasn't at this juncture [a member]. She's been a member for years.' A Scottish Labour spokeswoman said 'For over a decade Scotland's SNP and Tory governments ignored the mounting challenges at Grangemouth, but Labour stepped up and took action within a matter of months. 'This Labour Government has pledged £200 million to secure an industrial future for Grangemouth and ensure it is home to the jobs of the future.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.


Powys County Times
38 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Most Europeans would support independent Scotland joining EU, poll finds
A majority of Europeans favour an independent Scotland being allowed into the European Union – though a third of Britons would be opposed to this, a survey has found. YouGov questioned people living in Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and Spain on their views on the prospect of an independent Scotland becoming part of the EU. Support across these nations for Scotland to join the EU ranged from just under two-thirds (63%) to three-quarters (75%). 46% of Britons support independent Scotland joining EU 32% of Britons opposed to this But across Great Britain – where more than 2,000 people were polled – less than half (46%) said they would back an independent Scotland being part of the EU, with 32% saying they would oppose this. The research was carried out despite Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer having made clear he has no plans to allow a second vote on Scotland leaving the UK. Just last month the Labour leader said having another ballot on the issue is not a 'priority' and he cannot imagine one taking place while he is in Downing Street. And while the UK Government recently announced a new agreement with the EU, there is no prospect of the UK seeking to rejoin the trading block as things stand. YouGov's research comes almost a decade on from the 2016 Brexit referendum, which saw the UK as a whole vote to leave the EU, while Scotland voted to remain. The latest poll found 63% of French people surveyed would support an independent Scotland joining the EU, with only 13% opposed. In Italy, 64% favour Scotland being allowed to join, with 11% against, broadly similar to Spain – where 65% said they would support an independent Scotland in the EU while 13% are opposed to this. In Germany, support was higher at 68%, with only 10% of people polled against an independent Scotland being part of the EU, while in Denmark three-quarters (75%) of people back Scotland being part of the trading block, with 6% against this. External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson said: 'Brexit has diminished Scotland in every way – it has left people poorer, hurt business and ripped opportunities away from our young people. 'Returning to the EU is in the best interests of Scotland. It is central to our future economic and social success and offers us the chance to regain what has been lost by Brexit. 'With the UK Government unwilling to rejoin, it is clear that it is only with independence that Scotland can take our place at the heart of Europe as a co-operative EU member state – and it is welcome that people in many European nations stand ready to welcome us.' SNP MSP Stuart McMillan said: 'It comes as no surprise that people across Europe would welcome an independent Scotland rejoining the EU. 'People recognise the benefits of EU membership for all countries and can see the enormous damage that Brexit continues to cause. 'Brexit, which Scotland never voted for, is making people poorer, damaging our NHS, harming the economy and stealing opportunities from our young people. 'Labour's broken Brexit Britain is failing at every turn. It is only with independence that Scotland can build a better future, back where we belong in the heart of Europe.'


The Independent
43 minutes ago
- The Independent
Will Rachel Reeves' mortgage bombshell do more harm than good?
There's a great deal riding on Rachel Reeves' Mansion House speech tonight – more so than usual. Between the government's welfare reform plans being torn to shreds, the economy hitting a wall and public finances being mired in a sea of red ink, things haven't been great for the chancellor lately. Then there was her tearful appearance in the House of Commons a few weeks ago, blamed on a personal issue, and the lukewarm endorsement she received from Keir Starmer – which was swiftly reversed because the fiscally hawkish Reeves is seen in the City as greatly preferable to any of her possible replacements, and the markets reacted very badly when speculation about her future was at its height. Of course, she is not solely responsible for all of the above, but she does need to get back on the front foot – and her audience with City grandees is key to her success. As is typically the case with the annual event, large parts of its contents have been pushed out in advance – most notably the so-called 'Leeds reforms' which will tear up some of the post-financial crisis regulations that the City has been chafing against. At the centre of this are plans to make it easier for people to obtain bigger mortgages. The government is also launching a state-backed mortgage guarantor. The risks are obvious: do this and you could easily end up with more bad debt and more defaults when economic conditions turn against borrowers. Interest rates are on a downward path, and mortgage deals have been improving, which helps. But it won't always be that way, and unemployment is rising (thanks in part to Reeves increasing taxes on jobs). The new guarantor will also inevitably shift the burden of risk on to the taxpayer. Am I alone in having a problem with privatised profits and socialised losses? The City will always applaud deregulation, and quietly welcomed Labour's prodding the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to cool its regulatory jets and get with the programme. The Leeds reforms promise more of the same – including reform of the Financial Ombudsman, which has in recent years been functioning as a quasi-regulator. That, we are told, will end. An easing of the much hated senior managers and certification regime, another post-crisis measure, is promised. Ditto the FCA's consumer duty rules. So, too, are there are plans to boost fintech – and to ensure the Basel capital rules on banks are implemented in a way that 'supports UK competitiveness'. I suspect this means we'll find a way of cheating. A review of the ring-fencing regime – designed to protect retail banking assets (so yours and mine) from the City casino – is promised. My bet is that this will end up getting scrapped. Cross your fingers. If things go wrong again, it could get very messy. And there will be another crisis. It's in the nature of banking. City trade body UK Finance was positively gushing in response. 'We submitted a range of ideas to government to help support growth and the UK's position as a global financial centre. Across many of these key areas the chancellor has listened and delivered significant positive change,' said its CEO, David Postings. Of course he did. But here's the thing: if you take a look at the Treasury's press release, you will see that there is one very big omission. It is the one thing everyone attending tonight's shindig will want to hear about. It trumps even the most radical parts of the 'Leeds Reforms' and will ultimately be what Reeves is judged on. By now you've doubtless guessed that I'm talking about tax. Reeves has already soaked businesses by taxing jobs, with predictable results when it comes to unemployment. The City's view is that it already pays enough, contributing nearly £1 in every £10 the chancellor raises. Reeves is hoping that her reforms will spur growth, which she desperately needs. The City will tell her that it won't happen if she hits it again. That doesn't just apply to her increasing the burden on businesses. She will also be told not to hammer Britain's millionaires. With little headroom left over, her self-imposed fiscal rules and a tax-raising budget expected, Reeves has said the burden of balancing the books will fall on those whose shoulders are 'the broadest'. Most would agree that this is only fair. Many understandably find it offensive that Britain's poorest are being kicked via what remains of welfare reform while the richest employ clever accountants to cut their bills. But if she hits the uber rich too hard it turns into a zero sum game, because while some will stick around and grouse about their bills, others will just leave altogether. The result is that you don't end up raising more money – and you may, in fact, end up with less. So, how does Reeves plan to solve this problem ? I'm not sure the City will get an answer. Not yet. Reeves has made a start at re-establishing some credibility and authority, but the likely response to Mansion House will be this: 'Good start. But our verdict – and our business decisions – are on hold until the budget is in.'