Half ‘have no idea’ about party leaders

SCOTLAND’S opposition leaders are struggling to make themselves known to voters.

Half of the 10,000 Scots interviewed for a poll by Lord Ashcroft said they had never heard of Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie, or had no opinion about him.

Similarly, 40 per cent and 38 per cent said the same about Labour leader Johann Lamont a nd Tory leader Ruth Davidson respectively.

Unsurprisingly, only 6 per cent had never heard of Alex Salmond or had no opinion about him.

The SNP leader split voters, with 45 per cent holding a ‘favourable’ view of him and 49 per cent an ‘unfavourable’ one. That gives him a popularity rating of minus four, with Mr Rennie on minus eight and Miss Davidson minus 20. Only Mrs Lamont received a positive rating – of three.

The poll also found that 53 per cent of Scots believe Holyrood and Westminster elections are of ‘equal importance’.

Lord Ashcroft said: ‘ Despite their hazy view of what it does, it is a measure of Holyrood’s established place that more than half of Scots say Scottish parliament elections are as important as general elections for Westminster.

‘ MSPs are also quite wellregarded in comparison to their colleagues in the House of Commons. Scots say their Holyrood representatives are more likely to be in touch and committed to their local communities.’