Six in 10 Scottish voters back extending Brexit talks to avoid no deal

Pollsters find majority of Scots back extending talks to avoid a no deal Brexit (Andrew Milligan/PA)

A majority of people in Scotland back extending negotiations with the EU to avoid a no deal Brexit, a new poll suggests.

The SNP-commissioned Survation poll found 60% of respondents backed an extension next March if no deal has been reached with 27% supporting going ahead without a deal detailing a future trading relationship.

A total of 13% of were undecided.

Of those who backed the extending negotiations, as put forward Nicola Sturgeon last month, SNP voters did so by 66%, Labour and Liberal Democrat voters by 68% each and Conservative voters by 42%.

The poll also found just under two thirds (62%) of respondents did not believe the UK Government has given “an appropriate amount of consideration” to the views in Scotland during the Brexit negotiations, while 27% believed it had.

SNP MP Stephen Gethins said: “Scottish voters from every political party support the SNP’s call to extend the negotiating period with the EU as Theresa May’s disastrous handling of Brexit negotiations goes from bad to worse.

“A ‘no deal’ or ‘no detail‘ Brexit simply isn’t acceptable to Scotland, where we voted decisively to remain in the EU – a position that has been completely ignored and disrespected by Westminster at every turn.

“The SNP has argued from day one for a compromise that, after Brexit, the UK should remain in the single market and customs union – which is around eight times bigger than the UK market alone – to protect Scottish jobs and household incomes, and it’s becoming clearer by the day that Theresa May’s extreme approach to Brexit needs to change.”

A UK Government spokeswoman said: “As the Prime Minister has repeatedly made clear, we are committed to implementing the result of the referendum and will leave the EU on 29 March 2019.

“We want to secure a deal that works for the entire United Kingdom – including Scotland – and have been clear from the start that the devolved administrations should be fully engaged in this process.”

A total of 1,013 adults in Scotland were surveyed between October 3 and 5.