THREE in four Evangelicals would be unhappy if Scotland voted to become independent next month, a survey for the Evangelical Alliance has reported.

In an online poll of a panel of 1497 self-identified Evangelicals, 74 per cent said that they would be either unhappy or very unhappy if Scotland were to become an independent nation. A similar figure said the same of Wales's becoming independent, and a lower figure of 64 per cent opposed the idea of Northern Ireland's breaking away from the UK.

The results were released as part of the Alliance's report Are We Good Neighbours?, which questioned the sample on a wide range of issues. The survey suggests that 46 per cent of Evangelicals would be upset if Britain left the EU. 34 per cent support leaving, while 20 per cent are unconcerned either way.

The report found that Evangelicals appear to be engaged in politics in general. More than 90 per cent said that they voted at local elections, whereas the turnout figure for the UK as a whole was only 35 per cent at the elections in May.

However, when assessing the Coalition Government's record, there was little consensus. About one third agreed that Government cuts were harming their community, one third disagreed, and another third did not know.

Interview with Steve Clifford, general director of the Evangelical Alliance