Support for Scottish independence has dipped below 45% in the latest series of polls, marking the first sustained decline in pro-independence sentiment since the SNP won its second consecutive Holyrood majority in 2021.
Analysts attribute the shift to growing public anxiety about the economic case for independence, particularly around currency, pension security and the practicalities of border arrangements with the rest of the UK.
The SNP leadership has acknowledged the poll trend but insisted that a second referendum remains both achievable and necessary. Opposition parties at Holyrood argued that the figures show Scots have moved on from the constitutional question and want focus on health, education and cost of living.