Most Scots back Nato, says poll

Jul 22 2012

Three quarters of people believe that Scotland should stay in Nato if it becomes an independent country, according to a poll.

The gauge of public opinion emerged days after it was confirmed that the SNP is considering ditching its long-standing aim of pulling Scotland out of the nuclear armed military alliance.

Delegates at the party conference in October will decide whether they should permit an independent Scotland to remain in Nato or continue to resist membership of the organisation.

A YouGov survey of 1,008 Scottish adults showed that 75% of them believe an independent Scotland should remain in Nato.

Eleven per cent of those surveyed thought the country should leave the alliance if there is a "Yes" vote for independence in the anticipated 2014 referendum, according to the poll published in the Scotland on Sunday newspaper.

The poll was carried out as part of SNP defence spokesman Angus Robertson's defence review, the newspaper said.

The figures in detail reveal that 70% of SNP voters think an independent Scotland should be part of the alliance.

The number increased among voters for the pro-Union parties. Eighty-nine per cent of Conservative voters back staying in Nato, as do 82% of Lib Dems and 78% of Labour supporters.

On a separate but related issue, the study found that 62% of those quizzed think that the Scottish Government should have the final say over whether nuclear weapons should be based in Scotland.

Thirty-one per cent said the UK Government should have the last word.