SSP gain in pollsAnother poll was published last night by YouGov for the Mail on Sunday, showing Labour nine points ahead of the SNP on first- vote intentions, by 35 to 26%, and ahead on second-vote intentions by 28 to 24%. It also shows the smaller parties to be up on their 1999 results, with the Tories appearing to beat the LibDems on both votes. The bad news for Labour is that Scottish Socialist Party leader Tommy Sheridan is seen as far more impressive than any other leader -- while 31% of those polled say Jack McConnell has performed badly. SNP leader John Swinney is thought to have been the least impressive party leader.
The question of how much the Iraq war has moved voter opinion suggests that the biggest winner has been the most stridently anti-war party, the SSP. But the most striking part of the poll is how much those intending to vote Labour and Conservative on their first vote say their voting intentions have been altered because of the position taken on the war. Both parties have attracted voters -- 10% of Tory voters and 11% of Labour voters say they have shifted their voting intentions.
There has been anecdotal evidence of Tory votes moving to Labour on the issue. Sunday HeraldNote: The Mail on Sunday YouGov poll has put the SSP on 4% in the constituency first past the post vote and 8% in the regional list vote.
