Support to stay in European Union growing in Scotland, poll finds
Support for the UK to remain in the European Union (EU) is growing in Scotland with one month to go until the referendum, a poll suggests.
Support for the UK to remain in the European Union (EU) is growing in Scotland with one month to go until the referendum, a poll suggests.
Some 54% of Scots believe the UK should Remain in Europe compared with 32% who think it should Leave, and 14% undecided, according to an ICM poll of 1,000 people between May 6 and 10 published in the Scotsman.
It represents an increase on an ICM poll for the Scotland on Sunday at the beginning of March, which put Remain on 50%, with 35% backing Leave and 15% undecided.
Excluding undecided voters, Remain now commands a majority of 63%, with 37% backing Leave in Scotland, where support for the EU is thought to be higher than the rest of the UK.
ICM's most recent Britain-wide poll put the Leave side slightly ahead on 52%, with Remain behind on 48 per cent.
Support for Remain is strongest among Labour voters (67%), with 22% backing Leave and 10% undecided.
SNP voters are more divided, with 51% for Remain, 38% for Leave and 11% undecided.
Conservatives are more Eurosceptic with 47% backing Remain, 42% backing Leave and 11% undecided.
Nearly two-thirds (63%) of people aged 16 to 24 back Remain but fewer than half (47%) of those aged 45 to 54 intend to vote to stay in the EU.
Support for Remain is highest amongst the most affluent in society, with 62% of ABC1s backing Remain, compared with 49% of those in the C2 DE bands.
The Lothians has the most Remain voters (67%) while Central Scotland has the most Leave voters (39%).
Professor Mona Siddiqui, chair of the Scotland Stronger In Europe advisory group, said Europhiles "must not be complacent or apathetic".
Writing in the Scotsman, she said: "We are taking nothing for granted, the argument must be won in Scotland as elsewhere in the UK, but the potentially-decisive impact of Scottish votes is one factor that we believe will mobilise people to back our positive campaign and vote Remain."
She added: "The economic case for remaining in the EU is becoming clearer each day, but for me Europe means something far more than economic prosperity.
"Prosperity relies on peaceful societies, on peaceful alliances, on countries which share similar values and ideals about human flourishing and human dignity.
"Of course Europe is not perfect - no-one on the Remain side claims that.
"But as we look around the world where there are so many conflicts - a world of vested interests - the solidarity that we enjoy in Europe, the ability to make a difference when we come together, this should never be taken for granted."