Third of Scots voters '˜will vote Tory in General Election'

A third of Scottish voters are backing the Tories, according to fresh polling conducted after Theresa May called a snap election.

Ruth Davidson with a group of her supporters as a new poll reveals a third of Scots voters back the Tories. Picture: Ian Rutherford

The Panelbase survey, commissioned by The Sunday Times Scotland, shows 33 per cent backing Ruth Davidson’s party in general election voting intentions, suggesting it could be on course to win a clutch of new seats in Scotland in June.

The Tories, who are campaigning on a message of opposing the SNP’s bid for a second independence referendum, currently have one Scottish MP - David Mundell.

Support for the party is up on the 2015 general election result, where they took almost 15 per cent of the vote, and up from 28 per cent in a previous Panelbase poll conducted in March.

The new poll also shows the SNP on 44 per cent, down from 47 per cent in last month’s poll and from almost 50 per cent in the 2015 election.

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The party won 56 out of 59 Scottish seats in 2015 and is still on course to take home a majority on June 8.

Support for Labour has dropped to 13 per cent from 14 per cent last month and just over 24 per cent in 2015. With only one MP, Ian Murray, the party faces a battle to maintain a Scottish presence at Westminster.

Among the other parties, the Lib Dems are backed by 5 per cent of voters, up one percentage point from March, while Ukip and the Greens are supported by 2 per cent of voters each, both down from 3 per cent.

Panelbase polled 1,029 voters between April 18 and 21.

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A second poll by Survation, commissioned by the Sunday Post, found support for the SNP at 43 per cent, with the Tories on 28 per cent.

Scottish Labour lag behind with just under 18 per cent while the Lib Dems recorded almost 9 per cent.

The pollster also asked respondents about independence, with 53 per cent saying they would vote No in a referendum and 47 per cent backing Yes, when those who are undecided are excluded.

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Survation asked whether, in the event of another Conservative majority government, voters would be more or less likely to support independence.

A total of 37.9 per cent said such a result would make them more likely, 15.5 per cent less likely, 39.8 per cent no more or less and 6.7 per cent were not sure.

The survey of 1,018 people was also conducted between April 18 and 21.

SNP business convener Derek Mackay said: “The SNP will give Scotland a strong voice against austerity, blind pursuit of a rock-hard Brexit and a complete disregard for Scotland’s interests.

“The more Tory MPs there are in Scotland, the heavier the price we will all pay, with pensioners now in the Tories’ sights.

“The Tories think they can do what they want to Scotland and get away with it. We won’t let them.”

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