SCOTS believe that becoming independent and joining the EU would be better for the country than remaining in the UK, a major new study has found.

Attitudes towards Brexit have become deeply entwined with opinions about Scotland’s place in the Union, according to analysis by the Scottish Centre for Social Research and polling experts at What Scotland Thinks.

In a development which piles pressure on those arguing to remain part of the Union, researchers found that Brexit has had an “adverse impact on support for remaining in the UK”.

They found that Scots believed remaining in the UK and outside of the EU would be worse for the country than becoming independent and joining the trading bloc.

The study showed just 18% of Scots thought that staying in the UK was good for trade, compared with 53% who thought an independent Scotland within the EU would be better.

They said that between 1999 and 2014, support for independence fluctuated between 23% and 35%. Since 2019, it has “consistently” sat at around 50%, the study found.