Which are the key constituencies Labour hopes to win from the SNP at the general election?

Rishi Sunak has finally announced a general election date, with the country going to the polls on July 4.

The Conservatives are widely expected to lose, with polling expert Professor John Curtice saying the Prime Minister is either “very brave” or “extremely foolhardy”.

However, it’s not just the Tories who need to be worried, with the latest YouGov polling showing Labour have a ten-point lead over the SNP.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar have 13 Scottish seats on their top 100 targets list.

Scottish Labour, who at the start of this parliament could only name Ian Murray as an MP, now believe 28 of Scotland's 57 seats are in play, and winning 24 of them is not considered “unrealistic”.

Of the parties top 100 target seats across the UK, 14 of them are currently held by the SNP. Here are the key SNP seats being targeted by Labour, and the swings they’ll need to win them.

Lothian East

The number one target seat in Scotland is Lothian East, formerly East Lothian, a seat won by Kenny MacAskill for the SNP in 2019, who has since defected to Alba.

With Mr MacAskill now standing down, Labour are very confident, needing just a 2.5 per cent swing to win the seat.

As a result, they’ve selected a big beast of the party to run for it, former Scotland Secretary Douglas Alexander.

Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy

Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy is another constituency held by an Alba MP, Neale Hanvey, who won it for the SNP before defecting.

Mr Hanvey is now running again, which could see the vote split with the SNP, boosting Labour’s chances of winning Gordon Brown’s old seat.

Needing just a 3.41 per cent swing, Labour's chanced took a blow last month when the then-candidate Wilma Brown was suspended after sharing or liking a number of "racist" or controversial social media posts. She has since been replaced by Melanie Ward.

Glasgow North East

Third on the party target list in Scotland is Glasgow North East, which is currently held by the SNP international development spokesperson, Anne McLaughlin.

With a majority of just 4,277, Labour need a swing of 5.01 per cent for their candidate, Maureen Burke to win.

Airdrie & Shotts

A crucial battleground for the Labour party is Airdrie and Shotts, a seat held by close ally to Stephen Flynn, Anum Qaisar.

Beating Labour's candidate Kenneth Stevenson in a by-election in 2021, Ms Qaisar will now face him again in July.

Ms Qaisar won last time by less than 2000 votes, so Labour need a 5.7 per cent swing.

Coatbridge & Bellshill

Held by Labour until 2017, the newly renamed Coatbridge and Bellshill seat sees Steven Bonnar defend a majority of 5,642.

As a result, Labour’s Frank McNally requires a swing of 5.54 per cent to win the predominantly urban constituency.

The SNP Environment, Farming, Agriculture and Rural Affairs spokesperson’s seat is number 54 on Labour’s target list.

Midlothian

A classic swing seat, Midlothian has swung back and forth between Labour and the SNP since 2015.

Owen Thompson lost it to Labour's Danille Rowley in 2017, only to win it back two years later.

The SNP chief whip now faces off with Kirsty McNeill, who needs a 5.92 per cent swing to win.

Glasgow South West

Another of several key battles in Glasgow, Glasgow South West has been held by Chris Stephens since 2015, and was won with a majority just of 4,800 in 2019.

Mr Stephens, who is married to a former Labour councillor, will hope to beat Zubir Ahmed to retain his place in Westminster. Mr Ahmed needs a 6.4 per cent swing to win.

Glasgow North

Glasgow North's incumbent is Patrick Grady, the MP previously suspended from the party over harassment allegations. Now standing down, the seat will be contested by the SNP Home Affairs spokesperson, Alison Thewliss, whose current seat of Glasgow Central is being abolished due to boundary reforms.

Her Labour opponent is Ann McKechin, a former MP for Glasgow Maryhill and Glasgow North, who was also the shadow Scotland secretary in Ed Miliband's shadow cabinet.

Mr Grady has a 5,601 majority, and Labour need a 6.72 per cent swing.

Glasgow East

A swing seat since 2008, Glasgow East is defended by David Linden, who has held it since 2017.

In 2019, he grew his majority by from 75 to 5,566, but is now considered a real target by the Labour party.

John Grady is Scottish Labour's candidate, who will require a significant 7.62 per cent swing.

Mr Linden is the SNP Social Justice spokesperson, and previously held a work and pensions role under Ian Blackford.

Hamilton & Clyde Valley

A new constituency, the seat in South Lanarkshire sees the SNP's Ross Clark up against Labour's Imogen Walker.

The seat comprises parts of Lanark and Hamilton East which is now being abolished, where the incumbent SNP MP Angela Crawley had already announced she was standing down.Based on the previous election in her seat, Labour require an 8.18 per cent swing.

Na h-Eileanan an Iar

Na h-Eileanan sees Angus MacNeil, who quit the SNP over not doing enough on independence, face off against Susan Thomson from his old party, and the former Daily Record Political Editor Torcuil Crichton.

Mr Macneil won with a majority of 2,438 in 2010, but competing against his own party and a resurgent Labour party, the seat is one of the most interesting battles in the UK. Labour need an 8.42 per cent swing.

Motherwell, Wishaw & Carluke

Another new seat, it sees the current Motherwell and Wishaw MP Marion Fellows compete with former Airdrie and Shotts Labour MP, Pamela Nash.

Also the Chief Executive of Scotland in Union, Ms Nash needs a swing of 9.23 per cent.

Glasgow South

SNP MP Stewart McDonald defends a 9,005 majority against Labour's Gordon McKee.

An outspoken critic of Russia and China, Mr McDonald was previously the SNP defence spokesperson, and recently criticised Humza Yousaf’s claim that independence is close.Mr McKee is currently an advisor to the shadow Scotland secretary, and needs a swing of 9.42 per cent.