Survey suggests Scots are in favour of keeping Trident at Faslane
Nearly half of people questioned believe the nuclear deterrent should stay even after independence
For more than half a century it's been one of the most contentious issues in Scottish politics, now a new survey suggests more voters believe an independent Scotland should continue to be home to Trident nuclear weapons.
According to a YouGov poll for The Times in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine 45% people questioned in Scotland were in favour of keeping the submarines at Faslane, compared to 34% who were opposed.
21% said they were undecided.
YouGov interviewed 1,115 adults aged 16 and over in Scotland between May 18 and 23.
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A quarter of SNP supporters back nukes
The pollsters found SNP supporters were least likely to support retaining Trident, with 28% of those asked in favour of keeping the deterrent and 55% against.
Across the independence movement there was slightly more support for the weapons, the poll found, with 30% of yes voters in favour and 51% opposed.
The SNP want to see the Trident nuclear deterrent removed from the Clyde Naval Base, but First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's stance appeared to soften slightly on the timescale for removing the weapons during a trip to Washington earlier this month.
Majority support staying in NATO
Ms Sturgeon has backed an independent Scotland joining Nato, and her party changed its stance on the alliance a decade ago.
Meanwhile the Scottish Greens, which are now in a co-operative agreement with the SNP at Holyrood, have held a long-standing opposition to Nato membership.
But the poll suggested more than seven in 10 Scottish voters wanted to remain in the alliance which sees nuclear weapons as a core component of its overall capabilities for deterrence and defence.
Some 73% people said they supported an independent Scotland becoming members, with just 8% against and 19% unsure.
Nato itself has no nuclear weapons, but three of its members do: the United States, the UK and France.
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