The Legacy of IndyRef1 and the Implications for IndyRef2: New Scottish Social Attitudes Report

15th March 2017 Comment How Scotland should be governed The Scottish independence referendum

The focus of much opinion polling is on the short-term. Has support for this party or that party gone up or down since last month? Which leader’s popularity is increasing, whose is on the wane? Is there any evidence of swing towards or away from independence since the last time the question was asked? As […]



Does Scotland Want a Second Independence Referendum?

2nd March 2017 Comment The Scottish independence referendum

The Prime Minister comes north tomorrow to address Scottish Conservatives at their spring conference. She does so on the back of reports that the UK government is beginning to get concerned that Nicola Sturgeon might opt to pull the trigger on a second referendum, an expectation since heightened by a speech by the First Minister […]


On Sampling Error

10th February 2017 Comment The Scottish independence referendum

Much excitement was caused this week by a poll from BMG Research for The Herald which was reported by the newspaper under the headline ‘Support for independence surges on hard Brexit vow’. There was then even more of a flutter when in an interview for UK Business Insider I suggested that the three-point increase in […]



YouGov Mark St Andrew’s Day with Poll on Independence (and more)

30th November 2016 Comment Elections, parties & leaders How Scotland should be governed The Scottish independence referendum

Today is, of course, St Andrew’s Day and the deadline for responses to the SNP’s ‘National Survey’ on how Scotland should be governed. To mark the occasion, The Times commissioned a poll from YouGov on attitudes towards Brexit and indyef2 together with Holyrood vote intentions. Nicola Sturgeon must be wishing that it had not bothered. […]


Our Future Focus: Brexit, Indyref2 and All That

1st November 2016 Comment Site News

Long-term users of this site will be aware that it was originally created in advance of the referendum on Scottish independence that was held in September 2014. Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as part of its initiative on The Future of the UK and Scotland, the site was part of that […]


Why did Scotland vote to Remain?

18th October 2016 Comment How Scotland should be governed Policy issues

The outcome of the referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union was, of course, very different in Scotland than in England and Wales. North of the border 62% voted to Remain while 38% backed Leave. In the rest of Great Britain, in contrast, only 47% voted to Remain, while 53% supported Leave. So […]


The SNP: Not so much a party, more of a movement?

11th October 2016 Comment Elections, parties & leaders

Once upon a time the early autumn of the average London-based political journalist consisted of three weeks spent at three UK party conferences and then a return to their regular beat at Westminster. The SNP’s gathering during the ‘October break’ could be left to their colleagues in Edinburgh and Glasgow to cover. After all, little […]