Two-thirds of Bermudians remain opposed to the idea of the Island breaking ties with the UK, according to the latest poll carried out for .

It comes nine months after the Bermuda Independence Commission reported its Island-wide findings on the likely impact of Independence for the Island.

And one in seven people who took part in the survey believe the question of Independence should be decided by way of a referendum, while only 25.1 percent said they would be happy to have the matter decided at an election.

The results come just a few weeks after Progressive Labour Party Senator Walter Roban clarified the governing party?s position, which favours either a referendum in conjunction with a General Election or a separate referendum staged a number of weeks after an election.

Overall support of Independence has slipped from 24 percent to 21.6 percent, with those opposing it numbering 65.9 percent compared to 67 percent previously. There has been a 3.5 percent increase in those who are unsure if they are for or against the idea.

More than two-thirds of blacks are now in favour of a referendum, a jump of almost 10 percent to 68.2 percent, with only a quarter happy to see the issue settled in an election.

Among whites the split for referendum or election is 73.9 percent to 24.3 percent.

Men are the most opposed to Independence, with 71.3 percent of the 403 people surveyed in a telephone poll for this newspaper expressing that view and only 20.6 percent being favourable to a split from Great Britain.

Among women the split is 63.5 percent opposing and 20.5 percent supporting Independence. Opposition to a break has risen slightly among the 18-35 age group at 65.9 percent, and has also hardened among the over-55s now standing at 73 percent opposition.

The poll, conducted by Research Innovations and surveying 403 people by telephone between May 1 and May 4, showed a slight increase in support for Independence among those with household incomes over $100,000 at 18.7 percent, although three-quarters of those in that category remain opposed.

The number of those with household incomes below $50,000 who are opposed to Independence has crept up to 68.1 percent.

Among blacks opposition stands at 53.8 percent with 31.1 percent in favour, while 85.8 percent of whites are opposed to a break with the UK and only 12.4 percent are in favour.

Questioned on whether they wanted the issue to be settled by referendum or election, 70.6 percent of women and 68.1 percent of men favoured a referendum, with 28.1 percent of men and 22.6 percent of women preferring an election.

More residents over the age of 55 now prefer a referendum with a near seven percent jump to 74.8 percent.

Among the under 35s those who prefer a referendum remains steady at 58.2 percent with a slight increase of four percent to 37.4 percent happy to have it incorporated in an election.

Those with the biggest household incomes remain the most opposed to Independence being decided by election, with 77.1 percent preferring a referendum. In the middle-income bracket of those earning $50,000 to $100,000 some 70.1 percent prefer a referendum, while more than half of those with household incomes below $50,000 are also in favour of a referendum with 58.5 percent saying so, a drop of nearly eight percent with an almost equal rise in the number who would be happy to have an election to decide Independence at 34 percent.