Poll: Momentum increasing for Scottish independence

EDINBURGH, Scotland, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Support for Scottish independence, to be determined in a referendum Sept. 18, has risen eight percentage points in a month, a new poll indicates.

The "Yes" campaign, indicating approval of independence from England, is currently six percentage points behind the "No" side, the poll service YouGov said Tuesday. The latest poll, excluding undecided voters, indicates 53 percent of those questioned intend to vote against independence, with 47 percent in favor. The rise in those approving independence has been swift; in mid-August, 61 percent of respondents called for staying in Britain, compared to 39 percent who sought independence.

"This breakthrough poll shows that Yes has the big momentum - it's an all-time high for Yes support in a YouGov survey so far, and an eight-point swing from No to Yes in just three weeks. We only need another three-point swing to achieve a Yes for Scotland on September 18. While the No campaign press the panic button and blame each other for a series of blunders, Yes will get on with the job of persuading more of our fellow citizens, both No and undecided voters, that we need a Yes vote to put Scotland's future in Scotland's hands," said Blair Jenkins, the Yes Scotland chief executive.

The most recent poll involved 1,063 respondents between Aug. 28 and Sept. 1.