Polling shows SNP leads Scottish Labour by 34 per cent in the constituency vote

The SNP leads Scottish Labour by 34 per cent in the constituency vote and 27 per cent ahead in the list vote for the Scottish Parliament elections, according to new polling from TNS Scotland.

Latest polling found 58 per cent of those expressing a preference said they intended to vote SNP in the constituency vote in the May 2016 Scottish Parliament elections, up two percentage points on the previous month. Support for Scottish Labour sat at 24 per cent, up three per cent, with the Conservatives on 12 per cent (unchanged) and the Liberal Democrats on 4 per cent, a two per cent drop.

Meanwhile, in the regional vote, 52 per cent backed the SNP (unchanged), 25 per cent backed Labour, a rise of two percent and 11 per cent choosing the Conservatives (unchanged), with support for both the Lib Dems and Green sitting at five per cent.

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Nicola Sturgeon was found to be the most popular party leader among undecided voters (liked by 28 per cent), and in fact is liked by more Labour supporters (32 per cent) than Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale (25 per cent).

Seven percent of those surveyed said they liked Kezia Dugdale, with 23 per cent disliking her, and nearly half of the respondents (46 per cent) saying they did not know who she was. The survey found that 39 per cent of those intending to vote Labour do not know who Dugdale is.

Tom Costley, head of TNS Scotland, said: “It’s worth bearing in mind that the Scottish Labour Conference took place towards the end of the survey period. The exposure Kezia Dugdale had around that event is likely to have raised her profile.

“Perhaps more surprising than Dugdale’s low recognition is that 30% of respondents said they have not heard of Ruth Davidson, despite her achieving some prominence in the media, especially during last year’s referendum campaign and over her recent disagreement with the UK Conservative leadership on tax credits.”

A sample of 1,034 adults aged 16 and over was interviewed across Scotland over the period 16th October to 4th November 2015.