Labour slip backwards

»»Survey shows party are losing support and SNP will regain seats they lost at election »»Leonard fails to make impact and incredibly Tory Davidson is the nation’s favourite politician

Ruth Davidson as our most popular politician, with a favourability rating of +2.

The poll also predicts continued success for the SNP at Holyrood, even though compared to the 2016 election they are down three points to 43 per cent of the constituency vote and have dropped nine points to 33 per cent on the top-up list.

Labour are on course for 21 per cent in both Holyrood votes, the Tories are at 24 and 19 per cent respectively and the Lib Dems at nine and 10 per cent.

The Greens are polling 11 per cent for the top-up list, with UKIP registering five per cent.

Curtice said the results suggest the SNP would have 59 seats at Holyrood (down four), with Labour on 26 (up two) and the Tories on 23 (down eight).

The Lib Dems would increase their seats to 11 ( from five) and the Greens to 10 ( from six).

SNP deputy leader Keith Brown said: “What’s clear is that fewer and fewer people think Labour are a serious alternative. They’ve got no credibility on the big issues we face as a country and their support is disappearing at a rate of knots.”

But Labour campaigns spokesman Neil Findlay fired back: “At the 2017 general election, Labour offered a radical vision of change, extending public ownership, ending austerity and redistributing wealth and power.

“Scottish Labour, with Richard Leonard as leader, are building on that radical approach.

“The emerging dividing line in Scotland is between Labour’s plan to invest and build an economy that works for the many, not the few, or further austerity with the SNP and the Tories.”

A Tory spokesman said: “This very much reinforces Labour’s position as political non-entities in Scotland, and proves Ruth Davidson is the only alternative first minister to Nicola Sturgeon.”