JUST one in five voters in Scotland have said they will back Labour or the Tories in next week’s European elections as the parties languished in joint fourth place in a new opinion poll.

The SNP leads the YouGov survey with 38% of the forecast vote share, which would secure the party half of Scotland’s six MEPs.

Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party is in second place with 20%, followed by the Scottish Greens, who are looking to win their first-ever MEP.

Labour would cling on to one seat – down from the two it won in 2014 – with 10% of the vote in Scotland, the same as Ruth Davidson’s Scottish Tories, who would lose their only MEP.

The survey found that more than a fifth (22%) of Labour’s 2017 voters were planning to vote LibDem in the Euro elections and 17% would vote for the Greens.

Where Labour are losing their vote, more than three votes are going to pro-Remain parties for every one that goes to a party support the UK leaving the EU.

Green MSP Alison Johnstone said the party was taking nothing for granted: “These are the most important EU elections ever and the polling shows that the people of Scotland look likely to elect our first Green MEP. People know that if they want a MEP who will fight to keep Scotland at the heart of Europe, propose the serious actions needed to tackle the climate emergency and offer hope over hate, then they should vote Green on a Thursday.

“As positive as this poll is, we’re taking nothing for granted and will keep talking to voters up and down the country until the polls close.”

SNP MEP, Alyn Smith, warned: “Nigel Farage is a man who for years led a party committed to rolling back devolution – not extending it – and whose right-wing agenda should have no place in our society.

“Leave voters in Scotland are entitled to be just as disgusted as Remain voters with how Scotland’s interests have been ignored by Westminster in the Brexit process.

“Only the SNP has an unequivocal message of stopping Brexit and making Scotland’s voice heard – and only the SNP are in a position to get strong progressive voices elected to stand up for Scotland.

“A vote for the SNP on 23rd May is a vote for Scotland’s voice to be heard – our people and our Parliament cannot be ignored any more.”

Across Britain, YouGov and Datapraxis polled 9260 people for Best for Britain and Hope Not Hate, and found the Brexit Party came out on top, with twice the share of the vote of the second-placed LibDems.

Best for Britain’s interim chief executive, Naomi Smith, said: “Our poll is the largest yet, and shows that there’s still everything to play for in these European elections.

“It’s fundamentally important that as many people as possible get out and vote, especially those who often get forgotten by politicians – young people, renters and minority voices. No matter their frustrations with politics, staying at home on polling day is never the answer.”

Nick Lowles, CEO of Hope Not Hate, said: “These results are incredibly alarming. They envision a populist right party storming to victory in these elections. If that happens as this poll suggests, it will be a big boost for the forces of division in this country. That’s why it is so important that progressives get out and vote on Thursday.

“Some have warned that a confirmatory referendum could deepen divisions, but this poll makes it clear that continuing to pretend this question has been resolved is what’s really pulling the country apart.”

According to another poll – by Panelbase for The Sunday Times – the momentum is firmly with the SNP – and its campaign to stop Brexit. It showed the SNP on 38% – 22 points ahead of the Brexit Party and Labour on 16% – in Thursday’s election, with the Tories trailing well behind in fourth place (11%).

The poll predicted that the SNP would make gains at Holyrood and would win 50 of Scotland’s 59 seats at Westminster, with the Scottish Tories losing all but three Scottish seats.

Smith added: “Against the backdrop of a Boris premiership, and with the UK edging closer to a no-deal Brexit, it’s clearer than ever that Scotland’s future cannot be for Westminster to decide.”