The poll, conducted by anti-gay ComRes, uses the same questions the agency used for its Catholic Voices poll in February and concludes by suggesting that most Scots oppose same-sex marriage.
“55% of Scots agreed with the statement: ‘Marriage should continue to be defined as a life-long exclusive commitment between a man and a woman’” and that “50% of Scots want a referendum on the question of same-sex marriage.”
The Equality Network, who campaign for marriage equality, said a referendum on the question would be “un-Scottish, unfair and a colossal waste of money”.
While a Scotland for Marriage spokesman said: ‘When an honest poll is taken, most people in Scotland say they want to keep marriage as it is,’
‘And half of Scots say gay marriage should be decided by the people in a referendum, only a minority want to leave it to the politicians at Holyrood.’
The Equality Network claim the Scotland for Marriage ComRes poll is completely out of line with every other major opinion poll on this issue, which have consistently shown two-thirds of Scots support same-sex marriage. A mid-June poll by Ipsos MORI have instead showed 64% supported equal marriage with 26 percent opposed, and polls by Populus, YouGov, Angus Reid, and the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey, have shown similar levels of support.
Tom French, Policy Coordinator for the Equality Network, said the poll ‘does not actually ask people’s opinions on same-sex marriage,’ he said. ‘No one disputes that marriage between a man and a woman should continue to be available.’
Experts also pointed out that in the anti-gay poll 77% agreed with the statement: ‘Stable relationships between same-sex couples should be legally recognized through civil partnerships.’
If the poll had asked a question instead about same-sex marriage, respondents could have showed two third of Scots support it, constituent will all major recent polls.
‘This is confusing and misleading’, said policy coordinator Tom French.
Catholic Voices itself acknowledged that the figures were out of line with other polls and later said on its website that the poll was not in fact designed to “gauge support for same-sex marriage” but to “assess support for the state promoting the existing understanding of marriage”.
It added that if the public “realised” what allowing gay couples an equal right to marry involved, other poll results would fall into line.
