With a 41 per cent lead over Labour in the constituency vote and a 31 per cent lead in the regional list, this is an unprecedented rating after more than eight years in government – indicating strong approval of the SNP’s policy delivery.
The poll also highlights the need for a distinctively Scottish voice in the EU referendum debate, setting out the positive case for continued EU membership - it finds that 49 per cent in Scotland would vote to stay in the EU, just 19 per cent would vote to leave, and 26 per cent were undecided.
Since coming to office in 2007, the SNP has frozen council tax, protected free Higher Education, scrapped prescription charges, protected Free Personal Care, maintained the concessionary travel scheme, introduced a Living Wage – now £7.85 per hour – for public sector workers, increased Scotland’s health budget to over £12 billion for the first time, and invested in childcare to increase entitlement to 16 hours per week for all 3, 4 and looked after 2 year olds.
In the face of unprecedented cuts to Scotland’s budget from the Westminster Government, the SNP has also invested to mitigate against Tory welfare cuts – including the Bedroom Tax. And despite a cut of 25 per cent Westminster cut to Scotland’s capital budget, the Scottish Government is also on track to meet its ambitious target to deliver 30,000 affordable homes by the end of this Parliament.
If re-elected in 2016, the SNP will build on this strong record to deliver further improvement.
SNP Westminster spokesperson on Europe, Stephen Gethins MP, said:
“With the unprecedented democratic mandate the people of Scotland have given the SNP, we will provide a distinctively Scottish voice in the EU referendum debate, setting out the positive case for Scotland’s place within the EU family of nations.
“Our common sense amendment for a double-majority safeguard will ensure Scotland cannot be ripped out of the EU against its will. This – along with votes for EU nationals and 16 and 17 year olds - must be included in Westminster’s EU Referendum Bill. Failure to do so means the Bill clearly fails to meet the gold standard set by Scotland’s independence referendum.”
SNP MSP Stewart Maxwell said:
“Since coming to office in 2007, we have frozen council tax, protected free Higher Education, scrapped introduced prescription charges, protected Free Personal Care, maintained the concessionary travel scheme, introduced a Living Wage – now £7.85 per hour – for public sector workers. We have also increased Scotland’s health budget to record levels, and protected those hardest hit by unfair Tory welfare cuts. All this has been in the face of massive Westminster cuts to our budget.
“But there is more to do. If re-elected in 2016, the SNP will build on our strong record and deliver further improvements. As First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has already outlined, by 2020 we will deliver 30 hours of free childcare – almost doubling the current provision of 16 hours - and continue to protect our NHS. We will also continue to use the powers we have to strengthen and grow the Scottish economy - and push the case at Westminster for the powers we need to make more progress."
Notes:
Further information about the TNS poll (sample size 1031, poll conducted May 13 – 30th) is here: http://www.tnsglobal.com/uk/
Constituency vote: SNP 60%, LAB 19%, CON 15%, LD 3%, Other 3% (41% SNP Lead)
Regional list vote: SNP 50%, LAB 19%, CON 14%, GRN 10%, LD 5%, UKIP 2% (31% SNP Lead)
