Labour support falls in Scotland as SNP popularity nears 40 per cent

Richard Leonard suffered a disappointment today when new polling showed Scottish Labour slipping back in the race against the SNP.

A Survation survey showed Labour 12 points behind the nationalists when people in Scottish constituencies were asked about their Westminster voting intention.

The results showed Labour dipping two points to 27 per cent and Nicola Sturgeon’s party rising by the same margin to 39 per cent.

Leonard was chosen ahead of Anas Sarwar by a comfortable margin in the Scottish Labour leadership election in November. The vote was triggered by the surprise resignation of Kezia Dugdale.

Leonard was widely seen as having the backing of Jeremy Corbyn’s office.

If the Survation poll was proved correct it would mean the SNP winning back nine of the 21 seats they lost in last year’s general election, including Alex Salmond’s former Gordon constituency, which was taken by the Tories with a majority of 2,607.

The Tories were trailing in third place in the poll while the Lib Dems showed no sign of a recovery.

Survation poll for The Daily Record

SNP: 39 per cent (+2)

Labour: 27 per cent (-2)

Conservatives: 24 per cent (no change)

Lib Dems: 7 per cent (nc)