If Scotland rejects independence it will be because Scottish women are not convinced
Latest Scottish referendum poll for S Times has huge gender divide. YES 7% ahead with men but 27% behind with women. twitter.com/MSmithsonPB/st…
— Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) March 24, 2013
The Sept 2014 referendum: The testosterone factor
With just 18 months to go before the Scottish referendum there’s a new poll from Panelbase in the Sunday Times. Overall the split is 36% YES to 46^% NO. The balance of those sampled have not made up their minds.
The poll used the actual question that has now been approved by the Electoral Commission
The big split, as shown in the chart, is between men and women with the former now showing a small lead in favour of leaving the UK. With women it is a totally different picture.
Professor John Curtice of Strathclyde University is quoted as saying:-
“..Women are less likely to say they feel confident about independence. Saying I want to stand on my own two feet, why do we need the English has potentially something of a macho tone to it.
Testosterone makes a difference here. Men are more willing to be a little gung ho. In so far as independence is a bit of a leap in the dark, they are more willing to take it.”
As with other polls the older Scottish voters are the less likely they want to back the move.
In the betting the best you can get on NO is 2/7 with Ladbrokes. The best on YES is 3/1 with Corals.
Mike Smithson
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