Sturgeon tops Scots Google searches for leaders

Nicola Sturgeon is surrounded by SNP supporters during a campaign stop in Edinburgh. Picture: Getty

BuzzFeed teamed up with Google News Labs and the University of Sheffield to analyse search terms relating to the party leaders by constituency.

In the UK as a whole, Conservative leader David Cameron topped the list as the most Googled leader in 237 constituencies.

Ukip leader Nigel Farage was a relatively close second, being the most searched for politician in 221 constituencies but Labour leader Ed Miliband was well out in third, topping just 125 constituencies.

And Ms Sturgeon was fourth throughout the UK, coming top in 43 constituencies - including several outwith Scotland.

The First Minister was the most Googled party leader in Copeland; Penrith & The Border; Sefton Central; City of Chester; Clywd South, Maidenhead (Theresa May’s constituency); Chelmsford; Leicestershire South; Chesterfield and Louth & Horncastle - Sir Peter Tapsell’s seat.

Ms Sturgeon was also the most searched for party leader in several Labour constituencies in Scotland, including Aberdeen South; Ayr Central; Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill; Edinburgh East; Edinburgh South and every Glasgow seat including Margaret Curran’s Glasgow East constituency.

The SNP leader was also the most Google politician in Renfrewshire East - the current seat of Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy - and in Antrim South, in Northern Ireland.

Elsewhere, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg only topped 17 seats, while Green Party leader Natalie Bennett scored the top spot in three constituencies and Leanne Wood, leader of Plaid Cymru, came top in just one - Durham North.

Nigel Farage was the most searched for party leader in Aberdeen North; Argyll & Bute; Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale; Dunfermline & West Fife; Edinburgh West; Edinburgh South West; Fife North East;

Simon Rogers, Google News Labs’s date editor, told BuzzFeed: “We used Google’s Knowledge graph technology to look for the most-searched party leader in over 5,000 towns and cities across the UK and aggregated those to establish which leader was most-searched in each city.”

Ms Sturgeon’s surprising showing in parts of England is likely down to her strong showing in the first leaders debate, televised on ITV. The SNP leader was praised for her performance with some snap polls suggesting she had won the debate or come a close second.