Poll Archive

The Times Scotland Poll – Anniversary of devolution, May 2009

Fieldwork: April 29th 2009 - May 3rd 2009

published by The Times

Click here to download detailed results 84k

Thinking about Scotland's future, which of the following is closest to your view?

SCOTLAND	All	Men	Women	AB	C1	C2	DE
Scotland should become independent from the rest of the UK	21%	23%	18%	12%	23%	27%	23%
The Scottish Parliament should have more powers than it does now, but short of full independence from the rest of the UK	41%	39%	42%	38%	42%	32%	45%
The Scottish Parliament has the right level of powers and should retain them	26%	24%	27%	34%	25%	28%	18%
The Scottish Parliament should have fewer powers than it does now	8%	11%	6%	12%	7%	7%	6%
Don't know/none of the above	5%	2%	8%	3%	2%	4%	6%

It is now ten years since devolution and the establishment of the Scottish Parliament. Do you think that devolution has overall been good or bad for Scotland?

SCOTLAND	All	Men	Women	AB	C1	C2	DE
Very good	13%	17%	9%	17%	18%	8%	10%
Fairly good	57%	57%	57%	57%	57%	62%	56%
Total 'GOOD'	70%	74%	66%	74%	75%	70%	66%
Fairly bad	14%	11%	17%	11%	14%	15%	16%
Very bad	4%	6%	2%	5%	2%	3%	5%
Total 'BAD'	18%	17%	19%	16%	16%	18%	21%
Net 'good'	52%	57%	47%	58%	59%	52%	45%

ENGLAND & WALES	All	Men	Women	AB	C1	C2	DE
Very good	22%	26%	19%	25%	21%	25%	18%
Fairly good	48%	47%	48%	44%	52%	47%	47%
Total 'GOOD'	70%	73%	67%	69%	73%	72%	65%
Fairly bad	5%	7%	2%	7%	5%	5%	1%
Very bad	2%	4%	1%	3%	1%	2%	3%
Total 'BAD'	7%	11%	3%	10%	6%	7%	4%
Net 'good'	63%	62%	64%	59%	67%	65%	61%

	SCOTLAND	ENGLAND & WALES
Very good	13%	22%
Fairly good	57%	48%
Total 'GOOD'	70%	70%
Fairly bad	14%	5%
Very bad	4%	2%
Total 'BAD'	18%	7%
Net 'good'	52%	63%

Do you think that Scottish devolution has overall been good or bad for the rest of Britain?

[Asked of England & Wales sample only]

ENGLAND & WALES	All	Men	Women	AB	C1	C2	DE
Very good	6%	7%	5%	5%	6%	7%	6%
Fairly good	36%	37%	35%	31%	41%	37%	36%
Total 'GOOD'	42%	44%	40%	36%	47%	44%	42%
Fairly bad	24%	26%	22%	32%	20%	24%	22%
Very bad	13%	14%	11%	14%	13%	12%	10%
Total 'BAD'	37%	40%	33%	46%	33%	36%	32%
Net 'good'	5%	4%	7%	-10%	14%	8%	10%

ENGLAND & WALES	Good for the rest of GB	Good for Scotland
Very good	6%	22%
Fairly good	36%	48%
Total 'GOOD'	42%	70%
Fairly bad	24%	5%
Very bad	13%	2%
Total 'BAD'	37%	7%
Net 'good'	5%	63%

Comparing the situation now with the period before devolution, would you say that as a result of devolution...

You feel more British or less British - or about the same?

SCOTLAND	All	Men	Women	AB	C1	C2	DE
More	7%	10%	5%	8%	3%	5%	10%
Less	10%	11%	10%	8%	12%	12%	11%
About the same	80%	76%	84%	81%	81%	84%	76%

Relations between Scotland and England are better or worse - or about the same?

SCOTLAND	All	Men	Women	AB	C1	C2	DE
Better	8%	11%	5%	11%	8%	5%	8%
Worse	24%	24%	23%	29%	23%	18%	23%
About the same	65%	62%	68%	57%	67%	75%	66%

ENGLAND & WALES	All	Men	Women	AB	C1	C2	DE
Better	8%	9%	8%	7%	8%	10%	8%
Worse	14%	15%	12%	16%	15%	14%	8%
About the same	73%	73%	73%	70%	74%	72%	77%

	SCOTLAND	ENGLAND & WALES
Better	8%	8%
Worse	24%	14%
About the same	65%	73%

Your own relationship towards the English is closer or more distant - or about the same?

(England & Wales sample asked about their relationship towards the Scottish)

SCOTLAND	All	Men	Women	AB	C1	C2	DE
Closer	8%	6%	9%	3%	10%	11%	9%
More distant	4%	4%	5%	3%	7%	4%	4%
About the same	86%	89%	84%	94%	83%	83%	84%

ENGLAND & WALES	All	Men	Women	AB	C1	C2	DE
Closer	9%	9%	8%	7%	8%	8%	10%
More distant	5%	6%	4%	5%	6%	4%	5%
About the same	83%	84%	83%	85%	83%	85%	80%

	ENGLAND & WALES	SCOTLAND
Closer	9%	8%
More distant	5%	4%
About the same	83%	86%

The Scottish Parliament in Holyrood now has most influence on your life or the UK Parliament in Westminster has most influence on your life – or both influence your life about equally?

SCOTLAND	All	Men	Women	AB	C1	C2	DE
Holyrood	10%	13%	8%	10%	10%	15%	9%
Westminster	33%	38%	28%	37%	36%	28%	31%
Both equally	52%	46%	58%	52%	52%	45%	55%

Which of the following statements is closest to your view?

SCOTLAND	All	Men	Women	AB	C1	C2	DE
Scotland gets too much money from the rest of the UK	3%	4%	2%	3%	1%	4%	3%
Scotland gets too little money from the rest of the UK	41%	35%	47%	29%	38%	45%	51%
Scotland gets a fair share of money from the rest of the UK	50%	57%	43%	61%	54%	44%	41%

ENGLAND & WALES	All	Men	Women	AB	C1	C2	DE
Scotland gets too much money from the rest of the UK	31%	33%	29%	36%	30%	29%	26%
Scotland gets too little money from the rest of the UK	4%	6%	3%	1%	5%	4%	6%
Scotland gets a fair share of money from the rest of the UK	49%	51%	46%	48%	49%	51%	47%

	SCOTLAND	ENGLAND & WALES
Scotland gets too much money from the rest of the UK	3%	31%
Scotland gets too little money from the rest of the UK	41%	4%
Scotland gets a fair share of money from the rest of the UK	50%	49%

The following questions asked of the England & Wales sample only:

Comparing the situation now with the period before Scottish devolution, would you say that as a result of devolution...

You now support or oppose the idea of there also being an English Parliament, or if you don't have a view either way please say.

ENGLAND & WALES	All	Men	Women	AB	C1	C2	DE
Support	41%	45%	38%	44%	41%	44%	36%
Oppose	15%	19%	11%	20%	17%	8%	11%
Don't know	44%	36%	51%	36%	42%	48%	52%

You now support or oppose the idea of only English MPs being allowed to participate in House of Commons votes on matters only affecting English constituencies, or if you don't have a view either way please say.

ENGLAND & WALES	All	Men	Women	AB	C1	C2	DE
Support	52%	59%	46%	58%	53%	54%	43%
Oppose	16%	15%	17%	18%	19%	9%	17%
Don't know	32%	26%	37%	24%	28%	36%	40%

If a referendum was held in Scotland on whether Scotland should move to become a fully independent country, no longer part of the United Kingdom, would you...

ENGLAND & WALES	All	Men	Women	AB	C1	C2	DE
Hope to see Scottish voters decide to remain part of the United Kingdom	49%	53%	46%	58%	51%	39%	46%
Hope to see Scottish voters decide to become an independent country no longer part of the United Kingdom	15%	18%	13%	15%	12%	22%	12%
Not mind either way what Scottish voters decided in such a referendum	36%	29%	42%	28%	37%	38%	42%

Populus interviewed a random sample of 911 adults aged 18+ in England & Wales & a random sample of 500 adults aged 18+ in Scotland by telephone between April 29th and May 3rd 2009. Interviews were conducted across these countries and the results of each sample have been weighted to be representative of all adults. Populus is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. For a full description of the methods we use, please click here.

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