THE SNP have opened up a 14 point lead over the Tories, according to the latest YouGov poll.
That margin, if replicated at the 2021 Holyrood election, would give them a fourth term in government.
The SNP share of the vote for the Scottish parliament is at 41% for the constituency vote, up three points since a YouGov poll in January.
The Westminster SNP vote is up even more, by four points. The party’s 40% would give the SNP 43 of Scotland’s 59 seats in the Commons, eight more than it has now.
The Tories were up four points at 27%, Labour were down five points at 23, while the Lib Dems were on 7% and the Greens on 2%.
However, the party will be wary of a slump in the First Minister’s approval ratings.
Nicola Sturgeon has gone from a 56-point positive approval in 2015 to a -2 rating.
However, Labour’s Richard Leonard will look on the SNP leader’s negative rating with envy.
Labour’s share of the Westminster vote is down five points to 23 per cent from the last poll in January. If this was carried through to the next Westminster election, Labour would lose all but one of the seven seats it won in 2017.
Jeremy Corbyn’s approval ratings also sunk to -30, a 27-point fall.
A Tory spokesman said the first minister’s approval ratings showed she was “paying a heavy price for trying to impose a second independence referendum on Scotland”
The SNP Deputy First Minister John Swinney said it was “an extraordinary endorsement” of his party’s record in government.
He added: “But it also shows that we’re winning the argument over Scotland’s future – how best we keep driving our country forward, delivering the best public services anywhere in the UK and building a fairer country.
“Our vision to create a successful economy and flourishing, inclusive society could not be further at odds with despair and chaos of Brexit from the Tories.“
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel