SIR John Curtice has offered an explanation as to why a new poll has suggested Scots like Donald Trump more than other western Europeans.
According to a new poll from Norstat, a quarter of adults living north of the Border hope the Republican nominee wins Tuesday’s US presidential election.
The Times reports that this is higher than the support of 17% in Spain, 15% in France, 14% in Germany and 13% in Sweden.
Figures showed that 56% of Scottish residents supported Kamala Harris – who was recently endorsed by John Swinney.
Speaking on the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme, Curtice (below) was asked if the reason for this support was perhaps due to Trump being half-Scottish through his mother, who was born in Lewis.
He replied: “Well maybe but certainly that’s probably the only likely explanation as to why he’s relatively popular.
“But at the end of the day I think the truth is that for the most part it’s pretty clear that Mr Trump is nothing like as popular on this side of the water as he is in the United States.”
It comes after Trump recently discussed his opposition to Scottish independence, saying that he hoped the United Kingdom stayed together.
A breakdown of the poll for The Times showed the supporters of centre-right and right-wing pro-UK parties are more likely to back Trump.
His backing was 50% among Tories, 42% among Brexit supporters and 70% among Reform voters.
However, it also showed he was supported by 17% and 20% of SNP and Labour voters respectively.
Polling expert Mark McGeoghegan said the results should not be surprising but that they were “concerning”.
He said: “For decades, we have stuck to the myth that we are more left-wing and socially liberal than our neighbours, a story that, for the pro-independence wing of Scottish politics, feeds a sense that our different politics justifies independence.
“But it is just that, a story. The sense that Scotland is more immune to Trump’s brand of right-wing populism than other parts of the UK is rooted in the fact that Thatcherism and deindustrialisation rendered the Conservatives toxic north of the Border and that the SNP chose to target Labour and Labour voters.
“The legacy is a party system that is more left-leaning than most, but not an electorate that is.”
He further added: “It makes sense that Scots attracted to independence – a form of outsider politics that promises to solve tough problems with a simple solution – might also be attracted to Trump.
“While not surprising, this should be concerning. Trump’s politics are not just right-wing populist but authoritarian.
“We should all be deeply worried that he could take a quarter of Scots.”
