Most Britons indifferent to ‘Orkxit’ according to YouGov poll
Most Britons don’t care whether Orkney remains in the UK or not, a polling agency has found.
The findings from global online research company YouGov come days after the Orkney hit the headlines over a proposals to explore alternative governance options.
A Further survey has found, however, that 37 per cent of Brits believe that staying in the UK is the right option for Orkney.
Suggestions that a closer relationship with Nordic countries could be explored, among other possibilities, have rapidly caught the attention of newsrooms far and wide.
Headlines such as the BBC’s “Orkney council to look at proposals to become territory of Norway” and tales of Orkney’s supposed bid to “break away” from Britain made way for the term “Orkxit” to be coined by journalists.
On Tuesday, Orkney Islands Councillors voted 15-6 in favour of the proposals, adopting an amendment which involving further exploratory work surrounding constitutional reform and a single island authority.
Amid the media frenzy, YouGov launched a poll seeking views on a number of territories parting ways with the UK, including Orkney.
A sample of of 2,002 people Britons were asked how they would feel if:
- Wales left the UK
- Scotland left the UK
- The Falkland Islands stopped being a British Overseas Territory and became a part of Argentina
- Gibraltar stopped being a British Overseas Territory and became a part of Spain
- Northern Ireland left the UK
- Orkney left the UK
This Wednesday evening, YouGov has revealed that 54 per cent of respondents said “it wouldn’t bother me either way” when it came to Orkney.
Meanwhile, 28 per cent said they would be “upset”, 13 per cent said “don’t know” and five per cent said they would be “pleased”.
Compared with the other territories included as part of the survey, Orkney scored least in terms of both “upset” and “pleased” and the highest in terms of indifference.
Another survey by YouGov, asking about specific options for Orkney’s future governance, found that 37 per cent of Britons thought the islands should remain part of the UK.
Read further coverage on Tuesday’s debate, the media furore surrounding it, and the results of our own online poll in The Orcadian, available now from shops and online.