Labour crisis deepens with new poll blow

Labour support has plummeted to its lowest levels since 1918 and the SNP is on course to win 20 seats in the next Westminster election, according to a new poll.

The Scottish breakdown of aYouGov poll in the Sun today show SNP support at 32% with Labour trailing on 26%.

If this result was replicated at a general election, the SNP would win 23 seats to Labour's 21.

The poll was taken at the height of the controversy surrounding Wendy Alexander's u-turn on an Independence referendum.

SNP depute leader Nicola Sturgeon said:

"These are fantastic poll results for the SNP and a body blow to the Labour Party in Scotland. It indicates a record lead for the SNP over Labour in a Westminster election poll, with our support nearly doubled since 2005.

"Although it is a small sample size, these figures are indicative of the strong trend of increased support for the SNP for both Westminster and Holyrood elections, on the back of our solid policy delivery in government.

"And the poll was taken at the height of the fiasco over Wendy's u-turn on an Independence referendum, which has destroyed the credibility of her leadership and her party in Scotland.

"Wendy's u-turn has helped put Labour into a crisis north and south of the border, and put Labour's support at its lowest levels since 1918.

"Many Labour MPs' nerves will be rattled as the effect of Wendy's u-turn and Gordon Brown's unpopularity hits home.

"The increase in SNP support from 2005 dwarfs that of the Tories, who must be disappointed that any bounce they expected from last week's local election results south of the Border has been modest in Scotland."

Notes:

The YouGov Poll was conducted from 7th - 8th May 2008, Scottish Sample size 141.

The results were (with change from 2005 in brackets)

SNP - 32% (+14%)
Labour - 26% (-14%)
Tory - 21% (5%)
LibDem - 13% (-10%)

PDF of YouGov Poll available at:

http://www.yougov.com/uk/archives/pdf/Sun%2008%2005%2008%20toplines.pdf

A seats analysis by Electoral Calculus would produce the following result:

SNP - 23
Labour - 21
Tory - 7
LibDem – 8

Source: http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/index.html?userpoll_scot.html