A new voting intentions poll of Scottish adults for the Daily Record shows the SNP continuing to maintain a commanding lead over Labour in the upcoming general election in Scotland. Headline voting intention figures, with changes on our December poll, were as follows:

SNP: 46% (-2)
Labour: 26% (+2)
Conservative: 14% (-2)
Liberal Democrat: 7% (+2)
Other Parties: 7% (+1)

These results would leave the SNP with the lions share of Scottish seats, potentially making them the third largest party in Westminster ahead of the Liberal Democrats in the next Parliament.

Nearly half of Scots would like the SNP to use this position to form a part of the next UK government – 44% of Scots had a coalition involving the SNP as their preferred outcome for a the 2015 general election, with most, 35%, wanting a Labour / SNP coalition. This was the top outcome for Scots as a whole, ahead of a majority Labour government on 20% and a majority Conservative government on 14%.

17% of Labour voters preferred the idea of a coalition with the SNP to a Labour majority government, as did two thirds of SNP voters. One in five SNP voters, however, would prefer the unusual combination of a Conservative / SNP coalition.

Only 14% of Scottish voters wanted to see the Liberal Democrats back in coalition; 8% with Labour and just 6% wanting a repeat of the current Conservative / Liberal Democrat coalition.

The poll also asked Scottish voters their views of the NHS in Scotland – a third said they thought it quality of care had become worse and the same proportion thought waiting times had lengthened since the SNP came to power in 2007, compared with only 22% who thought there had been an improvement in both these areas.

Survation interviewed 1,006 Scottish adults online between 12th and 16th January 2015. Full data tables and methodology details can be found here.

— Patrick Brione

Director of Research, Survation