With voters in Scotland heading to the polls next week to decide whether or not to remain part of the UK, our final Chart of the Day this week draws on data from a special re-contact study to profile the attitudes of the “yes” and “no” groups.
One of the most striking differences between pro- and anti-independence voters comes in how “British” they feel. Using a scale of 1 to 10 (where 1 is hardly British at all and 10 is very/completely British), pro-independence voters in Scotland scored an average of just 4.82; in comparison, anti-independence voters have a much higher average of 8.0 (not too far behind the equivalent figure from England: 8.25). It’s also pretty telling that 82% of pro-independence voters say that being Scottish is more important to them than being British.
Elsewhere, further clear divisions emerge. Pro-independence voters have a greater sense of optimism about the economy and – perhaps most tellingly – a much greater desire to stand out in the crowd, to take risks and to pursue a life of novelty and change. Compared to “no” voters, those in the “yes” group are in fact nearly 50% more likely to describe themselves as risk takers (32% vs 22%).
Look out for further insights on Scottish voters being released next week via our Twitter feed.
