New Poll: 82 per cent of Scots SMEs want UK to remain in the EU

A snap poll carried out by Business for Scotland has found 82 per cent support from Scottish SMEs for the UK to remain in the EU.

The poll, which generated 527 responses from members of the SNP-affiliated group, showed only 9 per cent of business owners wanted to leave the EU.

Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp, founder and CEO, said: “This is our third poll on EU membership in three years and all have shown overwhelming support for maintaining EU membership.

“Only 4 per cent thought that their business would be better off outside the EU and 60 per cent believed business would be worse off were the UK to vote to leave.”

The poll also revealed that 84 per cent either strongly agreed or agreed that if Scotland became independent at some point in the future, it should remain a member of the EU, while only 9 per cent of respondents strongly disagreed or disagreed with this statement.

In additional comments, respondents expressed concern that the Scottish Government would not be represented in the pre EU referendum negotiations promised by David Cameron, and that any concessions made without any Scottish input may not be best for Scotland. Such an error could lower Scottish support for maintaining EU membership.

Few polled would disagree that the EU is in need of reform, but our respondents felt in this case reform is best achieved from the inside, and with Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish and English needs given due consideration.