SCOTLAND’S First Minister has been named the “most impressive politician” in the coronavirus crisis by a poll of nearly 3000 people from across the UK.

The Press Gazette held the survey on its website from May 12-18, and gave 2700 readers the option to select Nicola Sturgeon, Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Boris Johnson, Matt Hancock, Dominic Raab or other as the most impressive politician during the pandemic so far.

The SNP leader took 29% of the vote, coming out on top just ahead of Chancellor Rishi Sunak on 24% and newly elected Labour leader Keir Starmer on 23%.

Meanwhile just 14% of those surveys selected Boris Johnson, just 3% picked Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Dominic Raab, who stepped in as the PM’s replacement while he was in hospital with Covid-19, took less than 3%.

READ MORE: WHO doctor says Scotland is 'doing good' in coronavirus response

A further 5% of readers selected “other” when asked the question.

The survey comes after a Scottish Government poll last week found 84% of Scots were in favour of the First Minister’s slow and steady approach to the coronavirus lockdown.

Sturgeon, like Wales and Northern Irelands’ leaders, did not scrap the Stay at Home messaging as Boris Johnson did in England last week.

Unlike Johnson she also is not “actively encouraging” those who cannot work from home to return to work.

The approach has also been praised by a special envoy to the World Health Organisation on the Covid-19 crisis. Dr David Nabarro said he was impressed by Sturgeon’s decision not to ease lockdown restrictions earlier this month.

He said: "Comparing Scotland with other parts of Europe, other parts of the world, I'd say you're doing good because you are tackling it carefully and logically. You are thinking through how do we make sure people are safe and how do we make sure the economy can restart? And you are layering these two together.”