FM’s big battle to save indy dream

NICOLA Sturgeon certainly seems to be a survivor.

After a year from hell it would be understandable if the First Minister was losing the support of the public.

Her party is involved in a horrible civil war, with her old friend Alex Salmond on the warpath over Sturgeon’s handling of sexual harassment claims against him.

At the same time, she is trying to steer the country through the coronavirus pandemic – forcing us all into lockdown.

And yet, a remarkable poll conducted for the Daily Record shows that she is set to increase her number of MSPs at May’s Holyrood election.

If Sturgeon wants an independence referendum, it is vital that she commands a majority in Holyrood. Calls for IndyRef2 would be very difficult for Boris Johnson to turn down with such a thumping mandate from Scots voters.

Yet our poll shows that an overall majority for the SNP is on a knife-edge.

For that reason, the months leading up to May are among the most important the First Minister has ever faced.

That’s where the questions in our poll about Salmond and Sturgeon’s handling of the pandemic come to the fore.

On Salmond, half of voters believe the First Minister would have to stand down if it is found she misled Parliament.

If she lost the faith of the public on lockdown measures, it could also see voters slip away. Our poll shows that, broadly speaking, her cautious approach is backed by Scots.

However, the First Minister must be careful to maintain support for her handling of the pandemic.

Failing to get this right could spell the end for her hopes of staging – and winning – a vote on Scotland’s future. INDYREF2 ON A KNIFE-EDGE – PAGES 4&5