EDINBURGH, September 18th (RIA Novosti), Mark Hirst – Just days after the three main UK party leaders pledged to protect Scotland's funding in the event of a No vote in the Scottish independence referendum, a new poll has revealed 83 percent of Conservative MPs want to change it.
The Dods Polling survey, published Thursday as Scots are voting in the independence referendum, contradicts the party leaders' statement with 63 percent of MPs across all parties willing to change it.
Holyrood Magazine, in association with Dods Polling, conducted an exclusive survey of MPs at Westminster asking their views on the funding of Scotland's public services, which is determined by mechanism known as the "Barnett Formula."
Earlier this week, UK Prime Minister David Cameron, his Deputy Nick Clegg and the leader of the opposition, Ed Miliband, released a joint statement, called "The Vow", which promised to maintain the Barnett Formula.
"Because of the continuation of the Barnett allocation for resources, and the powers of the Scottish Parliament to raise revenue, we can state categorically that the final say on how much is spent on the NHS will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament," the statement read.
"Every party had guaranteed the Barnett formula… they were in a position to do it together," former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown told a select audience during a speech made in Glasgow on Wednesday.
The findings will cast doubt over whether the UK party leaders can deliver their promise if Scottish voters reject independence.
The poll also found that two-thirds of MPs believed the independence campaign had damaged relations between Scotland and England.
The referendum that will decide whether Scotland will become and independent country is taking place on September 18.
