Independence Cymru and Alba

SNP out in front in new poll

An Ipsos/MORI poll published today shows the party polling at 45% in the constituency vote, and 42% in the regional list ballot.

21 April 2011 08:54 GMT

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Out in front: Alex Salmond. Pic: © STV

A poll published today puts the SNP at a significant lead over Scottish Labour in both votes for the Scottish Parliament elections.

The Ipsos/MORI poll, in today’s Times and Scottish Sun newspapers, puts the SNP ahead at 45% for voting intention in the constituency ballot, with Labour at 34%.

For the regional list vote, 42% of those questioned supported the SNP compared to 32% for Labour.

It shows a 5% swing to the SNP since the last Mori poll in February, and is the highest poll rating the party has achieved so far in the campaign.

Meanwhile Labour’s rating has slipped to its lowest since May 2010.

The SNP’s campaign director, Angus Robertson, said the poll was “excellent” news but added: “We are taking nothing for granted, and will contest the remaining two weeks of the campaign as a close two-horse race.

“We will continue working hard to earn the trust and support of the people for the SNP’s record, team and vision for Scotland.”

Labour, meanwhile, said that the poll was "unreliable".

The party's campaign co-ordinator John Park said: "This is a rogue poll because the results suggested are incredibly unlikely and are wildly different from what our canvass returns and other polls show.

"This particular pollster is notoriously unreliable in Scotland, predicting the SNP would win double the number of seats they actually did at the last general election. This poll only takes account of those certain to vote so ignores huge swathes of the electorate.

"The SNP are now guilty of taking voters for granted, declaring the outcome before a single vote has been cast. Now the Tories are back, Labour is fighting hard for what really matters."

The poll put the Scottish Conservatives in third place, with 10% of voters backing the party in both the constituency ballot and regional list. The Scottish Liberal Democrats polled at 9% in the constituency and 8% in the regional vote.