Alex Salmond and the SNP have staged a sensational comeback in the race for Holyrood, moving into the lead over Labour with only ten weeks to go until election day, according to a poll for The Times.
The Ipsos MORI survey of more than 1,000 voters reveals a big resurgence by the Nationalists since the end of last year, putting them ahead, in terms of those certain to vote, in the first-past-the-post and regional list sections of the poll for the first time in a year.
The result of the poll throws wide open the outcome of the Scottish election and brings to a halt a period when Labour appeared to be heading for victory. It will trigger deep alarm within Labour and puts pressure on Iain Gray, its leader in Scotland, with voters preferring Mr Salmond to Mr Gray as the next First Minister.
If the findings were repeated on May 5, the SNP would again be the largest party with 51 seats, four more than now, according to an analysis by Professor John Curtice of Strathclyde University. Labour would have 48 MSPs (up 2).The Tories would have 14 MSPs (down 3) and the Lib Dems 12 (down 4). The Greens would have 4 MSPs, double their present standing.
It would mean that Mr Salmond could opt again for his preferred option of minority government, or come to an understanding, short of a formal coalition, with the Conservatives.
An SNP-Tory pact would give him a one-seat overall majority on key votes, provided that the new Presiding Officer came from one of the other parties.
If Mr Salmond opted for a “rainbow” pact with the Lib Dems and Greens, he could look forward to another four years in power supported, again on key votes, by 67 MSPs, a majority of 5.
The poll, undertaken after renewed controversy over the release of the Lockerbie bomber and after the SNP Budget passed last week with SNP, Tory and Lib Dem MSPs joining forces, is a huge boost for the Nationalists. It shows that on the constituency or first-past-the-post section of the election, the SNP would have 37 per cent support, up 6 points on a similar Ipsos MORI poll last November, when the party was 10 points behind Labour.
Labour would have 36 per cent, down 5 points, while the Tories and the Lib Dems are flatlining at 13 per cent and 10 per cent respectively.
In the regional list, the SNP are on 35 per cent (up 3), Labour is on 33 per cent (down 3), the Tories are on 13 per cent (up 1), and the Lib Dems on 10 per cent (up 1). The Greens are on 6 per cent.
Recent polls have indicated that Labour’s strong performance in Scotland in the general election was being carried over to the Holyrood poll. But with voters’ attention now focused on the Holyrood election, the momentum appears to be with the SNP.
The party’s claim that in Mr Salmond and his Cabinet colleagues it has a better team of “big hitters” compared with Labour, seems to be resonating with voters — 51 per cent are satisfied with Mr Salmond’s performance, compared with 35 per cent dissatisfied.
Only 33 per cent are satisfied with Mr Gray (down six points on last November) and 34 per cent dissatisfied. Just as worrying for Labour is that 33 per cent of respondents have no opinion on Mr Gray’s performance as leader, indicating that for many Scots he remains an unknown quantity as an alternative First Minister.
If Labour fails to regain power in Scotland it would be a shattering blow for Mr Gray and a serious reverse for Ed Miliband in his first big test since he succeeded Gordon Brown.
The only comfort for the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in Scotland is that their support has not slipped farther and now appears to have reached a plateau. But both parties would have fewer MSPs.
9 comments:
Whats gets me is the idiots who still vote for the Liberal Party, thinking it is still an independent party. The Liberals are the whores of Politics. They will jump in bed with the party with the biggest majority. Unless of course, that party wants to give the people a democratic say in their countries future.
Exactly what do these bearded woolie jumpered, sandal wearing, cannabis smoking, salad munching bastards actually believe in apart from being anti-Scottish?
Tree hugging twats.
Stephen.
Stephen, FFS don't mince your words! All politicians are whores scratching their way to the top at least at Westminster. They are only interested, probably after their first 2 years when the idealism is battered out of them, of making as much money as is possible for the time when the world is in the shite. The only solution is to keep them close and Westminster is too big and too far to do that.
DL,
A good result but there is 10 weeks to go and not to mention how big cheatin fuckers the Labour Party are at swickin votes and stuffin ballots with deid folks votes, postal voters et al.
I live in hope, as if that eeejit Grey gets in I will not be coming home anytime soon. It will be dark days for the advancement of Scotland and continued asset stripping, first oil, then electickery, next renewables and closely followed by water.
I'm doubling my contribution, but I dont need Souter to remind me!
ps follow me on Twitter ya bass!
CD
Daisy I will, but come home soon we need good men to take Scotland forward. What's your handle on Twatter, CD Ya Bass?
Daisy, there are pages of CrazyDaisies. What's your handle or follow me on @DarkLochngar and I can follow you back.
Even if the SNP win Ecky still won't give the sweaties a referendum on Independence. And he'll go on building useless windmills and sucking up to Von Rumpey etc.
UKIPer - He will give the people a referendum if and when he has a majority in the Scottish Parliament to get it through.
It is the English-funded and run unionist parties that have prevented Salmond from doing so to date.
Ukippers, see above re;Billy!
Billy, correct. It is the sole being of the SNP to get Scotland independent. I see unemployment came down in Scotland, when it went up in the rest of the UK. I wonder how Elmer will play that, tomorrow at FMQs!
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