Times poll: ‘Yes’ 51%-49%

A poll by YouGov for The Times shows Yes voters ahead of No voters by 51%-49%. This is the first time the spread has favored Yes in YouGov’s polling. YouGov:

In the past four weeks support for the union has drained away at an astonishing rate. The Yes campaign has not just invaded No territory; it has launched a blitzkrieg.

The shift follows stronger campaigning by First Minister Salmond and Yes Scotland:

These findings suggest that Salmond has achieved three things. First he has neutralised the fear factor. Many Scots thought independence too risky – for example, the uncertainty over Scotland’s currency, and the prospects for jobs and investment … Second, he has played the Sassenach card with great skill. Almost half of all Scots fear that a No vote would leave their country at the mercy of policies they don’t like, imposed by London … Third, Salmond’s team is thought to have been far more impressive. The No campaign has turned off large numbers of voters. By two-to-one, Scots say Better Together has been negative – and by the same margin, they feel Yes Scotland has been generally positive. This sense that Salmond is offering an optimistic future has energised younger, Labour and working class voters who have switched to Yes in the hope of more progressive policies that London can’t stop.