Scottish independence poll: female vote favours No

First Minister Alex Salmond and his Deputy Nicola Sturgeon are still struggling to win over women voters. Picture: Robert Perry

Support among women stands at 22%, compared with 30% among men, with about a third undecided among both groups.

Both Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon are failing to win over women voters, according to the TNS BMRB poll.

But the key figures in the No campaign also struggle with a negative perception among voters in Scotland, the poll shows. Just 13% like Prmie Minister David Cameron, including roughly equal proportions of men and women, while 11% of adults like Alistair Darling.

Tom Costley, head of TNS in Scotland said: “Politicians on both sides of the debate are finding it hard to break through to younger voters.”

Only 41% of Scots know who Labour leader Johann Lamont is - and this rises to 62% among 16-34-year-olds.

But Nationalists pointed to other findings which indicated that four times as many people liked the First Minister as liked Ms Lamont and that 70% of people in Scotland had no view on the Labour leader.

SNP MSP Annabelle Ewing said: “These are extremely positive figures for Yes - both among men and women, the First Minister and Deputy First Minister far out-poll all those in the No campaign.

“For example, around four times as many women and men like Alex Salmond compared to the dismal figures for Johann Lamont - who is liked by just 6 per cent of women and 8 per cent of men. “

She said this reflected Labour’s “unremitting negativity.”