SNP's mandate to lead country 'crosses parties'

Published on Saturday 19 February 2011 15:25

THE SNP has claimed its appeal goes beyond party politics after releasing a poll showing that large numbers of Labour, Tory and LibDem supporters think a Nationalist-led government should be re-elected at Holyrood.

• Alex Salmond: preferred leader Photograph: TSPL

The poll asked people to discount who they intended to vote for personally on 5 May and asked whether they backed the SNP being re-elected as the government.

Among those certain to vote, 48 per cent said the SNP, as against 44 per cent who backed one of the other main parties. Among all those asked, the figure was 42 per cent for the SNP, and 45 per cent for the rest, still giving the nationalists a clear majority.

Broken down by voting intention, the poll revealed that even among people who planned to vote against the SNP, there were substantial numbers who thought Alex Salmond's party should be re-elected.

A fifth of people who said they were going to vote Labour said they thought the SNP should be re-elected. Among those who said they were going to vote Tory and LibDem, the figure rose to 31 per cent and 32 per cent respectively.

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By contrast, while the poll suggests that significant numbers of Labour, LibDem and Tory voters were sympathetic to an SNP-led government, only 5 per cent of SNP voters said they thought a different party to their own should be in charge.

Last night, SNP campaign chiefs claimed the results showed that even among voters who supported other parties, there was clear support for a second SNP administration at Holyrood.

Angus Robertson, the party's campaign manager said: "The poll shows that as a result of our positive record of delivery over the last four years, voters in all parties want to see the SNP re-elected and Alex Salmond continue to lead as Scotland's First Minister."

The poll will bolster the view held within the SNP camp that the more they can focus voters' minds on who they want to run the country, and on the choice between Salmond and Labour leader Iain Gray as leaders of potential administrations the better they will perform in May.

A senior SNP source said: "The trick for us is to turn that sentiment into actual votes."

Labour last night dismissed the findings. Election co-ordinator John Park said: "Whilst the SNP are patting themselves on the back and taking the electorate for granted, Labour will be working hard taking our message to the doorsteps of Scotland.

"We know what voters and their families are concerned about, that is why we are committed to tackling knife crime, dealing with the youth unemployment and protecting Scotland from the Tory cuts."

Salmond maintained last week that, if he wins the largest number of seats on 5 May, he would prefer to continue with minority government. But the findings in the poll could also be used by the SNP after the election to make the case, if they wished, that they should remain in office, even if Labour won more seats.

The poll results follow both Tory and LibDem sources saying last week that there was no automatic right for the "winner" in May's election to automatically assume office. The Ipsos Mori poll of 1000 people was taken between 10 and 13 February.