A shock new poll gives Scotland’s independence campaign a narrow lead for the first time.

The YouGov survey for the Sunday Times newspaper puts the campaign for Scotland to leave the United Kingdom ahead with fifty-one percent against the unionists’ forty-nine percent.

The Scottish National Party’s deputy leader welcomed the poll as a “very significant moment” in the campaign.

“What I think the poll does show is that increasing numbers of people across Scotland are coming to the conclusion that independence is the best way to protect our NHS, the best way to grow our economy, to create jobs, and to make sure that we never again get Tory (Conservative) governments that we don’t vote for, that we always get the governments in Scotland that we do vote for,” said Nicola Sturgeon.

Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is Scottish, said: “I want a Scottish parliament, I want stronger powers, and therefore I want change to make it stronger. But I also want to share our resources with the rest of the United Kingdom.”

Nationalists say Scotland would be one of the world’s richest countries if it took control of its own destiny.