Scottish independence: Teenagers say No MOST school pupils in Scotland would vote against independence in a referendum, a new poll has found. The SNP want to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in the referendum, likely to take place in 2014. But only 26 per cent of fourth year pupils - those eligible to vote if the law is changed - want to see Scotland become an independent nation, while an overwhelming majority of 59 per cent said they did not want to see the UK broken up. The survey of 2,500 school children from state and private schools across Scotland will be a blow to Alex Salmond, who wants to reduce the voting age to 16. The vast majority of pupils surveyed, 66 per cent, said the voting age should be reduced. The poll comes a day after a demonstration in support of Scottish independence in Edinburgh attracted 5,000 supporters according to Lothian and Borders Police, and 10,000 according to the organisers. The First Minister addressed the rally in Princes Street Gardens. A total of 2,457 pupils in 24 schools, both state and private, took part in the opinion poll, which was carried out in the first two weeks of September. The first question asked if the voting age should be lowered, with 66 per cent saying yes, 24 per cent saying no and 10 per cent saying they did not know. The second question was: "Do you believe Scotland should be an independent country?" with 26 per cent agreeing, 59 per cent against and 15 per cent unsure. Yesterday, John Curtice, professor of politics at Strathclyde University, said: "It is not clear that there is a sub-generational process going on here. If there was one, it was those who came into the electorate before 1970 and those who came in afterwards, post the discovery of North Sea oil and who are slightly more SNP. It is true that younger people are rather more likely to feel confident about independence, but it does not appear to have translated into high levels of support. Then again, 25 per cent of them said they shouldn't have the vote. He also said it was unlikely the SNP was anxious to secure the vote for 16-17-years-olds purely to bolster their support. He said: "It is too easy to extract the idea that lowering the age is some Machiavellian ploy to win the referendum rather than done out of conviction that the SNP believes this age group should be able to vote." Labour MSP Kezia Dugdale said: "The SNP has desperately wanted to extend the vote to 16- and 17-year-olds, not to improve democracy but because they believed that they would vote for separation. This poll blows a massive hole in their strategy. However, an SNP spokesman said: "It's great to see young people engaging in political debate and thinking seriously about what kind of Scotland they want to live in - that's precisely why the SNP believes that 16- and 17-year-olds deserve to be allowed to vote in elections." Meanwhile, a former Labour spin-doctor has warned that its divided politicians and "moribund" party machine could help the SNP achieve independence. Simon Pia, who quit as spokesman for Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont earlier this year, warned the party its current organisation "does not fit the 21st century." The comments by Mr Pia, a former diarist with The Scotsman, follow the suspension of Rami Okasha, head of strategy, communications and policy at the Labour Party HQ in Glasgow. Mr Okasha's suspension for "insubordination" is being viewed as Ms Lamont's attempt to stamp her authority on a divided party, as are her plans to move the HQ to Edinburgh. Mr Pia said: "Westminster MPs have got to wake up to the fact that Johann Lamont is the leader of the party. It is crucial that all sections of the party focus on bolstering Labour at Holyrood and the Scottish leader in the run-up to the referendum. He went on to describe the SNP's operation as "sleek, 21st century" compared with Labour, which "is quite moribund."