Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
Politics
Chris McCall

Ash Regan calls for SNP to 'ditch unpopular policies' after poll predicts big losses to Labour

A former SNP leadership candidate has called for the party to "ditch unpopular policies" after a poll suggested it could lose multiple MPs to Labour.

Analysis by YouGov predicted the Nationalists could lose 23 seats to Anas Sarwar's party at the next general election, which is expected to take place in 2024.

Ash Regan, who finished third in the race to succeed Nicola Sturgeon, said today she was "deeply concerned with the potential loss of so many MPs".

The Edinburgh MSP said the SNP now needed "to rethink and reset" and offer a "robust strategy" on achieving independence.

The YouGov forecast used statistical analysis to show how a general election would play out in Scotland if held today.

The SNP won 48 seats at the last UK-wide poll in 2019 but that could fall to 27 - with 23 of the losses to Labour across the central belt.

Labour’s tally of seats in Scotland is projected to increase from just one at present to 24, according to the research which involved more than 3,500 voters north of the border.

YouGov based its research on fieldwork carried out between April 10 and May 21 – after Yousaf took over as SNP leader and Scottish First Minister.

Regan said: "I am deeply concerned with the potential loss of so many MPs.

"We must ditch unpopular policies, prioritise public service delivery and release the Yes movement to create a robust strategy which cuts a path to independence. We need to rethink and reset."

The poll followed a police investigation into SNP finances resulted in both the party’s HQ in Edinburgh and the home of Nicola Sturgeon being searched.

YouGov said the findings “suggest that repeated recent bad news stories for the SNP and its new leader, Humza Yousaf, including accusations of party mismanagement and potential criminal cases being brought against senior officials, have taken a serious toll on both the party’s popular support”.

To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here.

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.