Scotland Independence? 53 Percent of Voters Now Support It

The most recent Scottish poll showed that 53 percent of the country's population now supports independence from Britain, a reversal from last year's results.

The poll, carried out for Scottish Television or STV, showed that 44 percent would vote to stay in the union, while 3 percent were undecided, the Daily Record reported. In September 2014, Scotland voted 55 to 45 percent against independence. The switch in opinion, determined after a poll of just over 1,000 people, coincides with a high approval rating of Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who leads the country's Nationalists.

Derek Mackay, a business convener for the Scottish National Party, told the Record, "This is a sensational poll for the SNP — it shows not only that people across Scotland support us in huge and growing numbers eight years into Government, but that they believe we have a strong record on key issues like health and education."

The BBC said that other polls in the past that have shown support for independence did so by excluding undecided votes. This is the first poll, according to the news organization, to offer that verdict while including voters who are undecided.

The Scottish Conservative Party was less impressed by the poll's results, and a spokesperson told the BBC the party would continue to support the 2 million people in the country that wanted to remain in the union.

"For its part, rather than revelling in this poll, the SNP needs to focus on the day job," the spokesperson said. "While the Scottish government takes Scotland down the constitutional cul-de-sac, education standards have fallen and the police service set up by this SNP government just two years ago is facing breakdown. Scotland needs a better way forward, not a step back to yet another referendum."

Presidential hopeful Donald Trump weighed in on a possible second referendum for independence, telling The Press and Journal recently, "I don’t know how they can do that — go through all that again. I’ve never heard of a thing like that. It’s crazy. You would’ve thought that Cameron, or whoever was planning it, would've said 'we’ll do this now but if we win you can’t do it for another 50 years.'"

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