A survey of over 3,000 people indicates opinions that Scotland will have a referendum, that the spring of 2023 is most popular and that the vote will be "yes". Also that the coalition between SNP and Scottish Greens makes the referendum more likely.
A survey of 200 people who changed from "no" to "yes" showed multiple reasons. The main ones were:
Initial debts will be a matter of negotiation with the UK government. The set up costs are estimated at £25 billion of which £15 billion will be offset as a share of assets being transferred.
Scotland needs a "legal personality". It is usually accepted that membership of the United Nations is the best indicator of Nationhood. The key is a recognition agreement with the UK.
Rather than the outmoded measures of growth, productidvity and income, our research indentifyed 15 headline indicators - a prosperity index - that refledt the actual experience of well being and security for people.
This paper analyses how the UK is currently perceived across the EU. How the future EU-UK relationship is considered in the medium term. And how the UK’s constitutional strains are understood. Trust in the UK has been severely damaged. There is also substantial Brexit fatigue and frustration. There are different views on whether and how fast a stronger relationship could be built in the future. If Scotland chose independence in a legally and constitutionally sound context, then there is broad openness to Scotland having a normal accession path to the EU.
This paper analyses the range of Scotland’s relations with the EU, and the Scottish government’s European strategy. The Scottish government’s European strategy aims to maintain and develop Scotland’s European relations in Brexit environment. And to Focus on issues of common interest, including the climate emergency, wellbeing, innovation and human rights. For now, Scotland’s European relations are rather positive despite the impact of Brexit.
OECD figures in 2018 showed the UK paid out just 29% of average earnings on pensions. This is the lowest of any developed country. Top of the table were the Netherlands, which pays 100.6% of average earnings, Portugal at 94% and Italy at 93.2%. Blair McDougall - formerly of Better Together - has suggested the UK cannot afford to pay a pension capable of supporting the most basis standard of living for a single person. In fact, he thinks that even the suggestion that the UK can afford it is laughable.
Scotland’s competitive advantage in green energy ought to be an important part of the economic case for independence when the second referendum takes place.