Only one quarter of Scots want an independence vote in the next twelve months in a blow to SNP ambitions, according to the latest opinion poll.
There is more support for a referendum in the next two to five years, with 30 per cent backing that option and 45 per cent say there should not be another referendum in the next few years.
The Panelbase poll for The Sunday Times shows that Nicola Sturgeon is on course for an SNP majority of one in the Holyrood election opening the door to a constitutional showdown with Boris Johnson and fresh demands for a second referendum.
The poll found support for independence is still on a knife edge with 47 per cent against separating from the UK with 46 per cent in support.
Boris Johnson is expected to tell the Scottish Tory conference on Sunday that he will refuse permission for a second referendum even if the SNP wins a majority in May.
John Swinney, the SNP deputy leader, said Johnson had to “respect the people” of Scotland.
He said: “Crucially the vote that matters is the one that takes place on May 6th and we’re working very hard to make sure that the parliament has a majority SNP government and the ability to ensure that we can deliver an independence referendum, because that’s what the people want and Boris Johnson should respect the people.
The poll found some 38 per cent believe independence will happen in five to ten years and 17 per cent expect it within ten to 15 years.
Another eight per cent consider it 20 to 30 years off. In contrast 28 per cent do not anticipate it at any point in the next few decades, while nine per cent do not know.
Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, claimed that a new referendum could be staged “as early as late 2021” if the party wins the Holyrood elections on May.
However, Swinney struck a more cautious tone.
He said: “We’ve said that we will tackle the covid pandemic, we will do that with urgency and with pace, but what we need to make sure is that we get a large SNP vote for the SNP majority in the Scottish Parliament to make sure that we can decide their own future.”
