More Scottish voters would prefer an SNP-Labour deal than an outright Labour government.
More Scottish voters would prefer an SNP-Labour deal to form a coalition after the General Election than would prefer an outright Labour Government, according to new polling.
The data, prepared by Survation for the Daily Record, finds that 35.1 per cent of voters north of the border would prefer an SNP-Labour coalition.
Just 19.8 per cent would prefer an outright Labour majority, followed by the just under 14 per cent who would prefer an outright Conservative victory in May.
It comes in the wake of polling by YouGov for the Sun on Sunday which has found that just 14 per cent of voters across the UK believe that the SNP holding the balance of power would be a good thing, but that figure rises to 46 per cent in Scotland.
The findings will heap yet more pressure on Labour to undertake serious preparations for negotiations with the SNP in the event of a hung parliament. Earlier this month senior figures in the Scottish Party made a series of contradictory remarks that need clarifying.
Kezia Dugdale, Deputy Leader of Scottish Labour made clear that she would have ‘no qualms’ about working with the SNP in government. However Jim Murphy, the party’s leader in Scotland, and Ed Miliband, have sought to distance themselves from any deal with the SNP.
The Survation poll also reveals the continued difficult electoral battle that lies ahead for Labour in the nation that was once its heartland.
According to the figures 46 per cent of voters in Scotland plan to vote SNP on 7 May, down two percentage points since December.
Support for Labour has risen by two points to 26 per cent. The Conservatives have fallen two points to 14 [er cent whilst the Lib Dems have increased their poll rating by two points to seven per cent.
Replicated at a General Election, this would, according to the Daily Record, leave the SNP with 52 seats in the House of Commons with Labour securing just six. The Lib Dems would lose all but one of their current tally of 11 MPs while the Conservatives would lose the one seat they currently hold.
The findings stand in contrast to those recorded by Panelbase for the Sunday Times which, over the weekend, pointed to a more substantial recovery for Scottish Labour.
When don’t knows are taken out, this poll put the SNP on 41 per cent, Labour on 31 per cent, the Conservatives on 14 per cent, UKIP on seven per cent and the Lib Dems languishing on three per cent.
This represents a fall on the 17 point lead the SNP had over Labour in Panelbase’s last poll in November.
Ed Jacobs is a contributing editor to Left Foot Forward. Follow him on Twitter
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10 Responses to “Scots want a Labour-SNP deal”
treborc1
Do the SNP need to have a coalition in Scotland then…..
swat
It seems that the people do not want an outright Labour Govt at Westminster, but one moderated by the SNP, so that it does not over reach itself by being too ambitious and arrogant. Labour may well have to sttle for that, in order to keep the Right out.
Joshua Macpherson
Vote UKiP
stoops
Labour are the right.
robertcp
I agree. Labour is not going to win a majority and will have to work with other parties if it wants to be in government later this year.