The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


Polls

An archive of the opinion polls we’ve commissioned from Panelbase.

pollsagree

.

POLL 1 (August 2013)

Full data tables

Topics covered (analysis links in brackets):

  • which powers SHOULD be devolved to Scotland? (1)
  • which powers WILL be devolved to Scotland? (1)
  • if Scotland was independent now, would you vote for Union? (1)
  • which politicians are most truthful on independence (2), (7)
  • opinion of “Better Together” campaign (2)
  • opinions on media coverage (3), (8)
  • does your preferred party share your view on independence? (4)
  • does your Holyrood 2016 vote depend on the referendum outcome? (4)
  • which of these things represents a threat to Scotland? (5), (6)
  • which of these things does Trident protect Scotland against? (5), (6)

.

POLL 1B (August 2013)

Full data tables

Topics covered:

  • should the UK have four “national” sports teams? (1)

.

POLL 2 (October 2013)

Full data tables

Topics covered:

  • should Scotland be an independent country? (1)
  • nuclear weapons (2)
  • the monarchy (2)
  • the bedroom tax (2)
  • membership of the EU (2)
  • voting rights for prisoners (2)
  • assisted suicide (2)
  • nationalisation of the railways (2)
  • decriminalising recreational drugs (2)
  • fracking (2)
  • “page 3” pictures in newspapers (2)
  • the death penalty (3)
  • membership of NATO (3)
  • the council tax freeze (3)
  • privatising the Royal Mail (3)
  • a written constitution (3)
  • building new nuclear power stations (3)
  • making the unemployed work for benefits (3)
  • minimum pricing for alcohol (3)
  • gender quotas for MSPs (3)
  • anti-sectarianism football laws/OBFA (3)
  • who would be the best leader for the No campaign? (4)
  • which people/organisations are acting in the best interests of Scotland? (4)
  • reasons for vote choice in independence referendum (5)
  • personal constitutional preference in an ideal world (5)
  • indyref vote if the Barnett Formula were to be abolished (5)
  • indyref vote if the UK were to leave the EU (5)
  • have your views on independence changed since the campaigns started? (6)
  • which media outlets do you use? (6)
  • would the Scottish people make an independent Scotland a success? (6)

Other analysis: (7), (8), (9)

.

POLL 3 (April 2014)

Full data tables

Topics covered:

  • should Scotland be an independent country? (1)
  • which information source do you trust most on independence? (2)
  • how actively are you seeking information about independence? (3)
  • if undecided, are you leaning either way? (4)
  • opinions on Labour devolution proposals (5)
  • who do you think will be Prime Minister after the 2015 UK election? (6)
  • will austerity continue, worsen or ease during the 2015-20 UK Parliament? (6)
  • will there be an EU referendum during the 2015-20 UK Parliament? (6)
  • how will Scotland be treated by the UK if it votes No? (6)
  • what if the referendum ballot paper was two flags? (7)
  • should working people need benefits for a liveable income? (8)
  • should Scotland invest in renewable energy for long-term gains? (8)
  • should Scotland refuse a share of UK debt if there’s no currency union? (8)
  • should private schools continue to be treated as charities? (8)
  • are there enough jobs for everyone if people look hard enough? (8)
  • should the top rate of tax be higher than 45? (8)
  • should the top rate of tax be higher than 50%? (8)

.

POLL 4 (May 2014)

Full data tables

Topics covered:

  • which areas of government are devolved to Holyrood? (1)
  • have you changed your mind about independence in the last 18 months? (1)
  • which football team do you support? (1)
  • what currency would an independent Scotland use? (2)
  • will Scotland be independent in the next 10 years? (2)
  • will there be an EU referendum in the next 10 years? (2)
  • will the UK leave the EU in the next 10 years? (2)
  • will the English/Scottish NHS be privatised in the next 10 years? (2)
  • will Boris Johnson become Prime Minister in the next 10 years? (2)
  • will free university tuition be abolished in Scotland in the next 10 years? (2)
  • will UKIP have more MPs than the Lib Dems in the next 10 years? (2)
  • will tax and welfare be devolved to Holyrood in the next 10 years? (2)
  • will your standard of living increase significantly in the next 10 years? (2)
  • will UK armed forces be involved in another war in the next 10 years? (2)
  • will there be a Labour First Minister in the next 10 years? (2)

.

POLL 5 (November 2014)

Full data tables

  • voting intentions (1)
  • how would you vote in a second independence referendum? (1)
  • EU referendum voting intentions (2)
  • would a Scotland/England split on the EU justify a second indyref? (2)
  • who should be the next Scottish Labour leader? (3)
  • should Scottish party leaders always be MSPs rather than MPs? (4)
  • should the Smith Commission proposals be subject to a referendum? (4)
  • should Scottish MPs have a veto on UK legislation affecting Scotland? (4)
  • should Holyrood have the power to hold referendums? (4)

.

POLL 6 (January 2015)

*double poll, with full-size samples from Scotland and the rest of the UK

Full data tables

Topics covered:

  • should the voting age be lowered to 16? (1)
  • should non-threatening offensive comments on social media be prosecuted? (2)
  • should people illegally downloading movies etc be imprisoned? (3)
  • should the death penalty be brought back? (3)
  • should the security services be able to monitor everyone’s communications? (3)
  • should convicted rapist Ched Evans be able to resume his football career? (3)
  • should the minimum wage be raised to the living wage? (4)
  • should the NHS only be for those who can’t afford to pay? (4)
  • should we build more nuclear power stations? (4)
  • should we build more windfarms? (4)
  • would you mind there being a windfarm in sight of your home? (4)
  • would you mind there being a nuclear power station within 20 miles? (4)
  • should energy companies be nationalised? (4)
  • should the railways be renationalised? (4)
  • should the UK electoral system be changed to proportional representation? (4)
  • should private schools continue to be treated as charities for tax purposes? (4)
  • should the UK continue to have nuclear weapons? (5)
  • should defence spending be cut in favour of welfare spending? (5)
  • is there too much immigration? (5)
  • are immigrants treated as scapegoats for the country’s problems? (5)
  • does cutting benefits help the economy? (5)
  • should the unemployed have to work for benefits? (5)
  • should Britain keep the monarchy? (5)
  • is the BBC balanced and unbiased? (6)
  • does England subsidise the rest of the UK? (6)
  • should the UK leave the EU? (6)
  • do pensioners get preferential treatment from governments?
  • should there be “English votes for English laws”?
  • should council tenants have the right to buy their house?
  • should voting be compulsory?

Other analysis: (7)

.

POLL 7 (May 2015)

Full data tables

Topics covered:

  • voting intention (1)
  • how would you have voted had the Smith powers been on the indyref ballot? (1)
  • is there a difference in UK attitudes towards Scotland since the referendum? (2)
  • which football club do you support? (3)
  • do you back the Offensive Behaviour (Football) Act (OBFA)? (3)
  • do you back the ban on alcohol at football matches? (3)
  • would you prefer a majority Labour UK government or coalition with the SNP? (3)
  • do you support Full Fiscal Autonomy (FFA) for Scotland? (3)
  • would you pay for the BBC if it was a subscription service? (4)
  • is the current “Rangers” a new club? (4)
  • do you back consensual stop-and-search for under-12s? (5)
  • do you back the “Named Person” legislation for child welfare? (5)
  • are female politicians better than male ones? (5)
  • should social-housing tenants have the right to buy at a discount? (5)
  • who controls Scottish Labour policy – the Scottish leader or the UK one?

.

POLL 8 (July 2015)

Full data tables

Topics covered:

  • which websites do you visit regularly for political content? (1)
  • how did you react to Labour ruling out an electoral deal with the SNP? (2)
  • should Alistair Carmichael resign? (3)
  • should the Scottish Government raise or lower taxes? (4), (7)
  • can any of the Labour leadership candidates win in 2020? (5)
  • which unions (UK and/or EU) should Scotland be in? (6), (8)
  • does the Scotland Bill live up to the pre-referendum promises? (9)
  • should Scottish Labour become an autonomous party? (10)
  • have you been subjected to abuse over your political views? (11)

.

POLL 9 (November 2015)

Full data tables

Topics covered:

  • how would you vote in a second independence referendum? (1)
  • do you understand Labour’s position on Trident? (2)
  • which politics TV and radio shows do you watch/listen to? (3)
  • should the House Of Lords be abolished? (4)
  • how should the SNP and Labour treat the House Of Lords? (4)
  • should Michelle Mone have been made a peer? (4)
  • would you EVER vote for independence? (5)
  • should the Scottish Government raise taxes to mitigate benefit cuts? (6)
  • if it should make cuts elsewhere instead, which departments should be cut? (6)
  • which level of government impacts most directly on your life? (6)
  • how likely is it that Labour will win the 2020 election? (7)
  • is the current regulation of the press adequate?

.

POLL 10 (January 2016)

Full data tables

Topics covered:

  • views on various types of energy sources (1)

.

POLL 11 (February 2017)

Full data tables

Topics covered:

  • council election voting intentions (1)
  • should Scotland be an independent country? (2)
  • constitutional preference on independence and the EU (2)
  • which elections could Labour win? (2)
  • independence support by football allegiance (3)
  • who was the best-ever First Minister? (4)
  • when should there be a second independence referendum? (5)
  • what should be Scotland’s national anthem? (6)
  • are the other countries of the UK subsidised by England? (7)
  • how many of the No campaign’s indyref promises were kept? (8)
  • should the UK keep Trident, and if so where? (9), (10)
  • is Scottish media’s political coverage balanced? (11)
  • are gender (and other) quotas a good idea? (12)
  • how important is the economy to your view of independence? (13)
  • which media outlets are pro-/anti-independence? (14)
  • is Theresa May or Nicola Sturgeon doing the better job? (14)
  • which electoral system/s should Scotland use? (15)
  • social attitudes: immigration, nationalisation, monarchy, hanging etc (16)
  • should the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act (OBFA) be scrapped? (17)

.

POLL 12 (December 2017)

Full data tables

Topics covered:

  • would you vote for independence if it meant staying in the EU? (1)
  • what’s the best Scottish movie of all time? (2)
  • will Jeremy Corbyn ever be Prime Minister (3)
  • when should the next UK general election be? (3)
  • should there be a second EU referendum once the deal is known? (3)
  • who will you support at the World Cup? (4)
  • should the Scottish Government spend money supporting Gaelic? (5)
  • young people’s voting intentions (6)
  • who should decide about a second independence referendum? (7)
  • is transgender self-ID a good idea? (8)
  • is the sugar tax a good idea? (9)
  • what’s the best outcome of a UK election for Scotland? (10)
  • should Kezia Dugdale have gone on I’m A Celebrity? (11)
  • should the Scottish Government raise taxes to fund public services? (12)
  • how are Scottish public services performing against the rest of the UK? (13)
  • why did you vote for the Conservatives/the SNP this year? (14)
  • do you understand the difference between a hard and soft Brexit? (15)
  • should Orange and/or political marches be banned? (16)

.

POLL 13 (May 2018)

(English-born residents of England)

Full data tables

Topics covered:

  • should corrections in newspapers be as big as the original lie? (1)
  • would you sacrifice Scotland/NI/Gibraltar to ensure Brexit happens? (2), (11)
  • which countries would you like England to join a union with? (3)
  • would you like more federalism in the UK, or less? (4)
  • who would you prefer to see as Prime Minister? (5)
  • if Scotland was an independent EU country, would you move there? (6)
  • is transgender self-ID a good idea? (7)
  • what would you do about Trident if Scotland was independent? (8)
  • should people be jailed for offensive but non-threatening tweets? (9)
  • should countries bomb each other if they feel like it? (10)
  • do you know who the current UKIP leader is? (11)

.

POLL 14 (June 2018)

Full data tables

Topics covered:

  • Holyrood/Westminster voting intentions (1)
  • timing of a second independence referendum (2)
  • should any other countries be run by their larger neighbour? (3)
  • correlation between football club support and religion (4)
  • views on devolved public services (5)
  • positive and negative views of political media outlets (6)
  • would you be prepared to rent Faslane to the rUK for Trident? (7)
  • would you rather be more aligned with the US or the EU? (8)
  • opinions about the Westminster “power grab” (9)
  • which powers are, and which should be, devolved? (9)
  • Yes and No voters’ attitudes to the EU (10)

.

POLL 15 (March 2019)

Full data tables

Topics covered (analysis links in brackets):

  • Holyrood voting intentions (1)
  • recognition of Richard Leonard (2), (7)
  • various transgender/women’s issues (3)
  • do only Unionists like rugby? (4)
  • independence and Brexit (5)
  • “strict liability” and OBFA (6)
  • Scotland’s relationship with the UK and the EU (8)
  • what currency should an independent Scotland use? (9)

.

POLL 16 (April 2019)

(Two full-sized samples, Scottish and English voters)

Full data tables

Topics covered (analysis links in brackets):

  • what do you understand the words “gender” and “sex” to mean?
  • should biological males be allowed to compete in women’s sports?
  • can human beings ever actually change sex?
  • should the Scottish football authorities introduce “strict liability”?
  • was it a good idea to abolish the Offensive Behaviour (Football) Act?

We’re not too sure why we asked the strict-liability and OBFA questions again so soon, as they were only asked to the Scottish sample. Oddly, we don’t seem to have written about this poll at all, except for a passing mention of the OBFA numbers here, perhaps as all the results are basically identical to the March ones.

.

POLL 17 (September 2019)

(SNP voters only)

Full data tables

Topics covered (analysis links in brackets):

  • independence voting intention (1)
  • what is the SNP’s goal regarding Brexit? (2)
  • what SHOULD BE the SNP’s goal regarding Brexit? (2)
  • will there be a second indyref before the 2021 Holyrood election? (3)
  • should the SNP pass Brexit in return for permanent indyref powers? (3)
  • would you prefer independence or the UK avoiding Brexit? (4)
  • which parties have you voted for prior to voting SNP? (4)
  • would you consider voting for a new pro-independence list party? (5)
  • demographics of SNP voters (6)
  • what should be the SNP’s strategy to secure a second referendum? (7)
  • views on transgender/women’s issues (8)

.

POLL 18 (October 2019)

(Double-sized sample, Scotland/England/Wales)

Full data tables

  • which facts on a person’s birth certificate should be alterable? (1)
  • should the four UK nations each have a veto on major issues like Brexit? (2)
  • which is most important, Brexit or saving the Union? (3)
  • should there be a new Brexit referendum? (3)
  • which options should be offered in any new Brexit referendum? (3)
  • would the result of a new Brexit referendum be respected by Parliament? (3)
  • should children be separated at school on the basis of religion? (3)

.

POLL 19 (April 2020)

Full data tables

  • independence voting intention (1)
  • was there a conspiracy to convict Alex Salmond? (2)
  • various transgender/women’s issues (3)
  • various political issues around coronavirus (4)
  • what should be done about football and coronavirus? (5)
  • would you sacrifice the SNP to secure independence? (6)
  • support for Universal Basic Income (7)
  • what circumstances should trigger a second independence referendum? (8)

.

POLL 20 (June 2020)

Full data tables

  • will the 2021 election trigger a second independence referendum? (1)
  • which Parliament should decide about a second referendum, and why? (2)
  • who should get to remain anonymous in sexual assault trials? (3)
  • should public money be used to support newspapers? (4)

.

POLL 21 (July 2020)

(Two full-sized samples, Scottish and English voters)

Full data tables

  • should there be Scotland/England border controls to fight coronavirus? (1)
  • will polling force the UK government to grant a second indyref? (2)
  • have circumstances changed enough since 2014 to justify a new indyref? (2)
  • would you vote for an Alex Salmond-led Holyrood list party? (3)
  • views on transgender/women’s issues (English sample) (4)

 

Comments are closed.

  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a (mainly) Scottish political media digest and monitor, which also offers its own commentary. (More)

    Stats: 6,761 Posts, 1,218,181 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • Geri on The shifting sands of memory: “It was meaningless because it wasn’t written down legally anywhere that they’d actually enact the result – just that they’d…May 22, 00:36
    • Geri on The shifting sands of memory: ““no matter what some nit picking academics poring over 3 centuries old dead parchments might argue.” Wait a minute there,…May 22, 00:26
    • robertkknight on The shifting sands of memory: “Scotland was effectively acquired, through hostile takeover, by England, who had threaten to cut off Scotland’s international trade through naval…May 21, 23:38
    • Oneliner on The shifting sands of memory: “What word from London, AI Dan?May 21, 23:22
    • Anthem on The shifting sands of memory: “Yawn….May 21, 22:49
    • Mia on The shifting sands of memory: “” the laws that were not compatible with the Treaty fell into desuetude” Sorry, Lorn but on this, I have…May 21, 22:34
    • Hatey McHateface on The shifting sands of memory: “My reading is that it’s the settled view of many that because the majority of Scottish residents returned the wrong…May 21, 21:50
    • Aidan on The shifting sands of memory: “What word from New York Alf?May 21, 21:41
    • Hatey McHateface on The shifting sands of memory: ““he believes that there was and is a Treaty of Union” No shit, Sherlock! That puts him in the overwhelming…May 21, 21:38
    • Aidan on The shifting sands of memory: “The Union with England Act was passed by the Scottish Parliament prior to the amalgamation into the Parliament of Great…May 21, 21:25
    • Andy Wiltshire on The shifting sands of memory: “Is it the settled view of most people on here that the independence referendum of 2014 was meaningless? And moreover…May 21, 21:24
    • Lorn on The shifting sands of memory: “Ian: you kind of have to provide evidence that you ARE a colony, not just being treated as one. It…May 21, 21:23
    • McDuff on The shifting sands of memory: “The western world is consumed with righting wrongs of the past so surely that must include Scotland. The Scottish people…May 21, 21:16
    • Lorn on The shifting sands of memory: “PhilM: I don’t think Stephen Kerr is being mendacious; I think he believes that there was and is a Treaty…May 21, 21:06
    • Lorn on The shifting sands of memory: “Actually, no, it’s not, Dec. The Treaty was real and very much based in legality. The Scots have never really…May 21, 20:53
    • Lorn on The shifting sands of memory: “Mia: the laws that were not compatible with the Treaty fell into desuetude – which means that they were no…May 21, 20:51
    • Hatey McHateface on Some Attention For James: “Uh oh, Barbie’s been allowed back into the community. Is it me suggesting we get vets to run the euthanasia…May 21, 20:33
    • Hatey McHateface on The shifting sands of memory: ““We will have to use every ounce of ingenuity and courage to free ourselves” Sure, but you’ve missed the third…May 21, 20:21
    • Mia on The shifting sands of memory: “@Geri They made several attempts at a union, but all monarchs failed until Anne. She seemed to have achieved what…May 21, 20:21
    • Hatey McHateface on The shifting sands of memory: ““I wonder how the BBC will report the liberation of the Scots” Do you really? I’m thinking most grounded people…May 21, 20:06
    • Hatey McHateface on The shifting sands of memory: “If you use AI to write it, you can use AI to summarise it. “We wus robbed” about covers it.May 21, 19:50
    • JB on The shifting sands of memory: “Lorm @6:23pm As to “surrendering the fishing industry” on Monday, so far that is only a political agreement to surrender…May 21, 19:48
    • Geri on The shifting sands of memory: “It’s my understanding there was no union or parliament of ‘Great Britain’ because it never happened. It was a wish…May 21, 19:37
    • Northcode on The shifting sands of memory: “Mia, your comments are often a mammoth read but it’s always worth making that little extra effort to read them.…May 21, 19:28
    • Geri on Some Attention For James: “You’d think by now the penny would drop at your end by now.. “Scotgov” is a colonial outpost, ya cretin.…May 21, 19:23
    • Mia on The shifting sands of memory: ““A basic piece of research would dispel this immediately, the Union with England Act 1707 Article XXVV passed by the…May 21, 19:18
    • Aidan on The shifting sands of memory: “A basic piece of research would dispel this immediately, the Union with England Act 1707 Article XXVV passed by the…May 21, 19:02
    • Mia on The shifting sands of memory: ““the ToU is a fraud” There is indeed something rather iffy about the Treaty of Union and the way the…May 21, 18:46
    • Northcode on The shifting sands of memory: “Replying to James Cheyne: 21st May @ 5:19 pm “Give us our Country back, you must be joking” I was…May 21, 18:42
    • caltonjock on The shifting sands of memory: “Thank you JockMay 21, 18:27
  • A tall tale



↑ Top