Scots favour second independence referendum following Brexit, poll finds

Scotland does not want to leave the European Union

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon visits the European Parliament to give input on Brexit talks (Reuters)

Scottish people now favour a second independence referendum, a poll on the subject after the EU referendum result has found.

Britain voted to leave the European Union by 52 per cent to 48 per cent – but Scotland overwhelmingly voted to stay by 62 per cent, with a majority in favour in every single council area.

The Scottish National Party, which runs the Scottish Government, has said that Scotland being dragged out of the European Union without its consent might be cause for a second independence referendum.

Now a poll by Survation conducted on behalf of the Scottish Daily Mail has found that 47 per cent per cent of voters back an independence referendum just two years after the first one was held.

Only 42 per cent do not want to hold another referendum.

A majority of Scots also believed it would be “democratically unacceptable” for their country to be forced to leave the European Union by the rest of Britain.

52 per cent supported that statement compared to just 33 per cent who disagreed.

The news comes amid reports that the Spanish government would block any attempt at Scottish re-accession to the EU.

Spain has separatist movements in Catalonia and the Basque country and the country’s government has long worried Scottish independence might embolden pro-independence forces in those regions.

Another poll carried out by the same firm in the wake of the Brexit vote found that 53.7 per cent of Scots now want independence compared to just 46.3 who do not.

If replicated on polling day the result would be a turnaround from that in 2014, where 55 per cent of Scots voted to remain a part of the UK compared to 45 per cent who voted for independence.