WOW - what a morning for the Scottish Labour party right? The Lord Ashcroft poll was real evidence of a big revival for the party in Scotland. It's all we've been talking about here at The National offices.
Wait ... that's not right, is it?
Well, it is according to Labour MSP Neil Findlay. While supporters of Scottish independence have been feeling hopeful over the poll which put support for Yes at 52% - the first time Yes had led in a poll since March 2017 - Findlay was celebrating a tiny little nugget of data that maybe, just maybe, suggests Corbyn has *some* support in Scotland?
READ MORE: POLL: Scots want independence and they want to vote now
This morning, Findlay posted: "I understand the Ashcroft poll says 57% of Scots prefer a @jeremycorbyn led UK Govt."
Doesn't sound quite right does it? So where is he getting that from?
I understand the Ashcroft poll says 57% of Scots prefer a @jeremycorbyn led UK Govt
— Neil Findlay MSP (@NeilFindlay_MSP) August 5, 2019
Asked which of the following party leaders would make a better prime minister, 29% of Scots named Boris Johnson and 23% said Jeremy Corbyn. Not a great start for the Labour leader, there. That's him lagging behind a Prime Minister who was booed so heavily during his Scottish visit last week that he had to leave via the back door of Bute House.
To make matters worse for Labour, "fewer than four in 10 2017 Labour voters said they thought Corbyn would make the best PM," according to Lord Ashcroft's analysis.
Not even half of the party's recent voters think their leader would make the best PM? I'm struggling to see the positives Findlay could possibly be alluding to on Twitter ...
Ah, here we go. So after that question, respondents were asked: "If you had to choose, which of the following would you rather see in Westminster?"
The poll showed that in this scenario Scots would prefer a Labour government with Corbyn as PM by 57% to 43%.
So, when Scots are "forced to choose" between Johnson and Corbyn, 57% say Corbyn. That's 43% of Scots still backing Johnson. And as already pointed out, Johnson really isn't liked here ...
Failing to see what there is for Labour to celebrate here, Findlay ...
Of course, plenty of people on social media were quick to point out the problem with the MSP's victory lap.
One user said the post is a "prime example of why Labour are in such decline".
23% prefer Corbyn, 29% think Johnson, your tweet is a Prime example of why Labour are in such decline. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves.#DissolveTheUnion
— Tex Thomson (@king0scots1) August 5, 2019
Another pointed out the results were actually pretty "damning" for his party.
Yes, but only in a binary choice between Labour and the Conservatives with no other party possible. In which case, 43% going for the Conservatives is pretty damning against Labour.
— Dr Robert De Bold (@DrDeBold) August 5, 2019
You'd think Scottish Labour would want to keep a low profile when it comes to polls at the moment, considered a poll just a few days ago put them with a lower vote share than the Brexit Party (in a country that voted 62% to Remain. You can't make it up).
READ MORE: Labour less popular than the Brexit Party in Scotland
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