Scottish Labour predicts a general election victory like that of Tony Blair in 1997

Scottish Labour’s deputy leader says the upcoming general election could be a repeat of her party’s historic 1997 landslide victory.

Dame Jackie Baillie says her party is “not complacent”, but predicts the victory for Sir Keir Starmer at the ballot boxes will be on a par with that of Tony Blair and New Labour in the 1990s.

Speaking at a Holyrood Magazine event on the upcoming general election, Dame Jackie said: “I’m not remotely complacent.

Former prime minister Tony Blair with his deputy prime minister John Prescott and chief of staff Jonathan Powell. Image: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images.

“At the start of last year I had five or six target seats, but we have a lot more now.

“I’ve been around long enough to remember 1997, and I think this has the potential to be 1997.

“But we are not complacent - we will work hard for every vote and I am spending my life on the doorsteps.”

Polling as of March 25 puts Labour on 44 per cent in a general election and the Conservatives on just 24 per cent.

A poll earlier this month in The Mail on Sunday also predicted Labour could have a 250 majority, which would dwarf the 179 majority Tony Blair secured in 1997.

Earlier this week pollster Professor Sir John Curtice said in a lecture there is only a one per cent chance of Labour losing this general election.

Pollster Mark Diffley also told those at the event the election result is a “done deal”, but not because Sir Keir Starmer is a popular choice.

He said: “One thing to point to is people are still not convinced by Labour’s message.

“We are in a position where we have two unpopular parties and two unpopular leaders.

“Labour is in the fortunate position of being less appalling than the Tories.

“This is not 1997, this is not Tony Blair levels of approval, far from it - Starmer’s ratings are actually in the negative.”

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Mr Diffley added while 70 per cent of voters want change, 18 per cent are still undecided and up to half could still change their mind before going to the polls.

Meanwhile Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton is predicting a “massive resurgence” in his party’s fortunes.

He said: “We are going to overhaul the SNP in this general election - some wild polling has us coming in second, because people have lost faith in both parties in government.

“We are looking at a massive resurgence and we can surprise people.”