Labour go second behind SNP in new poll as Rishi Sunak's popularity plummets

Anas Sarwar's party has consistently polled in second place behind the SNP in the lead-up to Thursday's local elections

LABOUR have moved ahead of the Conservatives in a poll of Holyrood voting intentions, but the SNP still maintain a comfortable lead.

The Savanta ComRes survey for The Scotsman put Anas Sarwar’s party ahead of Douglas Ross’s Tories in both constituency and list votes.

It suggests the partygate scandal has affected Tory fortunes, as senior figures like Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson have seen falls in their popularity.

The Chancellor's favourability dropped by 26 percentage points compared to their last polling, with it now sitting at minus 48%.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister’s net popularity was at minus 58%, having fallen by 7%.

On the independence question, the poll found No on 51% and Yes on 49% when undecided voters are removed.

Savanta ComRes interviewed 1010 Scottish adults between April 26 and May 3.

For Holyrood constituency voting, the SNP were on 46%, Labour on 25%, the Conservatives on 18% and the Liberal Democrats on 7%.

In the regional list vote, the SNP were on 31%, Labour on 23%, the Conservatives on 18%, the Greens on 14% and the Liberal Democrats on 10%.

Rishi Sunak's popularity has dropped by 26 percentage points to minus 48%

Chris Hopkins, associate director at Savanta ComRes, told The Scotsman: “Labour’s large lead over the Conservatives in second place, of both the constituency and list Holyrood VIs (voting intentions), is certainly eye-catching, but as with almost everything related to Labour at the moment, it feels more like a lead more to do with the fortunes of the Conservatives than anything Labour are doing especially well.

“The Conservatives’ Westminster fortunes have taken a battering since partygate but it appears that the cost-of-living crisis has turned Scottish voters away from the party, and with there unlikely to be any remedy to many voters’ concerns about the affordability of basic items needed to live on the horizon, it’s possible things could get worse for the Conservatives before they get better – including on Thursday in the local elections.”

At the weekend, a Panelbase poll for The Sunday Times put Labour ahead of the Conservatives in Westminster voting intentions.