Humza Yousaf’s Scottish National Party (SNP) are set to be humiliated at the next general election losing 18 seats according to a new poll.
The party now trails Labour in three key areas according to analysis by Survation for communications agency Quantum Communications, but nationwide it still holds a five-point lead on Labour – 3 percent more than the last Survation poll.
Pro-nationalist news outlets claim the SNP would win 38 seats at the election – 10 less than in 2019. But the party is particularly vulnerable in 18 seats in Central Scotland, West Scotland and the Highland and Islands Holyrood regional constituencies, where it trails Labour.
According to the research about a sixth of voters remain undecided meaning there is all to play for ahead of the general election later this year.
The poll suggests the SNP will win 38.5 percent of the vote with Labour on 33.7 percent, once those who don’t know or would not say are removed.
It predicted the Tories would also suffer in Scotland with their vote share dropping to 14.6 percent – the lowest polled by Survation since Liz Truss was Prime Minister – with the Liberal Democrats even further behind on 7.7 percent.
This means unionist parties will win the majority of votes at the next election.
When those who are likely to vote in an election but undecided are included, the SNP is on 32.7 percent, Labour on 27.3 percent, the Tories on 12.3 percent and the Liberal Democrats on 6.9 percent. Over 15 percent of those likely to vote remain undecided at the moment.
Labour’s hopes of winning back its heartlands in Lanarkshire and also suggests seats in North Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, Dunbartonshire, Inverclyde and Argyll and Bute will turn red, along with the Western Isles, have been boosted by the poll results.
But the SNP holds leads in the other parts of Scotland, including the North East where the survey suggests it would win 47 percent of the vote.
The poll also suggests it leads in Glasgow, however other polls have predicted an SNP wipeout there.
Co-CEO of Quantum Communications Alan Roden, who is a former communications director with Scottish Labour, said: “This year’s general election is not a foregone conclusion, but it appears to be a two-horse race when it comes to winning most seats. The SNP will be buoyed by the findings, with the party focused on appealing to voters in the north-east and defending Stephen Flynn’s Aberdeen seat.
“But Labour’s lead in parts of the central belt is significant, suggesting there won’t be a uniform swing across Scotland – and many SNP seats in densely populated urban areas are vulnerable.”
