MOSCOW, September 2 (RIA Novosti) – Scottish "Yes" voters are within striking distance of their ultimate victory, the latest YouGov poll has indicated.
"Scotland is within touching distance of independence…With 16 days to go until millions of Scots vote in the referendum, a YouGov poll put support for independence at 47 per cent, against 53 per cent who say they want to remain part of the UK," the Times reports.
It is worth mentioning that according to the previous survey, carried out by YouGov in mid-August 43 percent of Scottish civilians supported the "Yes" camp while 57 percent were inclined to vote against Scotland's independence.
As the gap between "Yes" and "No" votes has narrowed dramatically, tensions between the two camps has increased. "The fight is on. And there is no time to lose," writes Magnus Linklater, a British journalist.
Proponents of the independence insist that the country will gain an unquestionable economic advantage, "drawing wealth from North Sea oil reserves," as AFP notes. Meanwhile, the older voters are expressing concerns regarding their pensions, according to the Guardian. "Will pensions now be one of the crucial battlegrounds in what promises to be a very keenly contested last two weeks?" asks John Curtice, a professor of politics at Strathclyde University in his article "YouGov Report Dramatic Swing to Yes," published on the website What Scotland Thinks.
Blair McDougall, the Better Togerther campaign director, points to the fact that while "the nationalists talk as if they are winning," the poll has shown once again that those Scottish who want to stay in the UK still prevail.
"Of course, too much should never be read into one poll – and we still await a poll that actually puts the Yes side ahead," emphasizes John Curtice, adding that the Yes side has ultimately gained momentum and can hope it will achieve a historic victory.
