MOSCOW, October 6 (RIA Novosti) – Over a third of Russians back the idea of the recent Scottish referendum and Scotland’s independence from Great Britain, a public-opinion poll by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) revealed Monday.
According to the survey, 34 percent of Russians are in favor of Scotland’s independence. This opinion has been expressed primarily by residents of larger cities, with 45 percent from Moscow and 40 percent from St. Petersburg favoring the idea. 21 percent of those polled said they opposed the idea of Scotland’s secession and backed the current union of Scotland and Great Britain. 45 percent could not make up their mind.
The survey revealed that only half of Russians were aware of the referendum results. 49 percent of Russians knew about the victory for the no vote. The highest awareness level – 60 percent - was measured among the residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Asked about the reasons behind the referendum one in five Russians argued that the Scottish just wanted independence and six percent thought the United Kingdom was not taking into account Scotland’s economic interests. Three percent answered Scotland’s population was just fighting for its rights and another three percent pointed out the Scottish were generally unhappy with Westminster's policies.
The referendum on Scotland’s independence took place on September 18, 2014. The voters were asked a single question: Should Scotland become an independent country? The majority of the population, 55.3 percent, decided that Scotland should remain part of the United Kingdom, whereas 44.7 percent voted for the secession.
