Evidence suggests that while initially it had little discernible impact on the overall level of support for independence, more recently the pursuit of Brexit has served to increase support for leaving the UK.
This paper uses new data from the 2019 Scottish Social Attitudes survey to examine the impact that the Brexit debate has had on attitudes in Scotland towards independence. It does so by (1) undertaking a systematic comparison of evaluations of the consequences of Brexit and the consequences of independence, and (2) comparing the evolution of attitudes towards Scotland’s constitutional status among those with a more and less sceptical view of Britain’s relationship with the EU. This evidence, it is argued, suggests that while initially it had little discernible impact on the overall level of support for independence, more recently the pursuit of Brexit has served to increase support for leaving the UK.