More than half of Scots now back independence following Britain’s decision to leave the EU, a new poll showed yesterday.
A Panelbase survey for the Sunday Times found that 52 percent of respondents wanted to break with the rest of Britain, with 48 percent opposed.
Scotland rejected independence in a 2014 referendum, but Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon said a second vote was now “highly likely” to prevent Scots being pulled out of the EU against their will.
Photo: AP
In Thursday’s EU referendum, Britain voted by 52 to 48 percent to leave the bloc. However, Scots voted by 62 percent to stay in.
After an emergency Cabinet meeting on Saturday, Sturgeon told reporters said that “a second independence referendum is clearly an option that requires to be on the table and is very much on the table.”
“To ensure that that option is a deliverable one within the required timetable, steps will be taken now to ensure that the necessary legislation is in place. Cabinet this morning formally agreed [to] that work,” she said.
In the independence vote two years ago, Scotland voted by 55 to 45 percent to stay within the UK.
The Panelbase survey, which interviewed 620 adults on Friday and Saturday, found that 52 percent think Scotland is likely to be independent within five to 10 years.
This is up from 30 percent when the same question was asked in April.
“What’s going to happen with the UK is that there are going to be deeply damaging and painful consequences,” Sturgeon told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show. “I want to try and protect Scotland from that.”
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party leader Ruth Davidson — who opposes independence — said after the EU results came in on Friday that it was not the right time for another vote.
“I do not believe that a second independence referendum will help us achieve that stability nor that it is in the best interests of the people of Scotland,” she said. “The 1.6 million votes cast in this referendum in favor of ‘Remain,’ do not wipe away the 2 million votes that we cast less than two years ago, and we do not address the challenges of leaving the European Union by leaving our own union of nations, our biggest market and our closest friends.”
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old