YouGov today published results of a full-scale Scottish poll, but it only contained favourability ratings for various leading politicians. It would be odd to conduct a poll of that sort without also asking for voting intentions, so I’m wondering if there might be more to come, possibly for a Sunday newspaper. In the meantime, we have the familiar picture of Nicola Sturgeon towering over her unionist competitors –
Net favourability ratings:
Nicola Sturgeon (SNP) +36
Rishi Sunak (Conservative) +7
Sir Keir Starmer (Labour) +1
Richard Leonard (Labour) -28
Jackson Carlaw (Conservative) -32
Matt Hancock (Conservative) -38
Dominic Raab (Conservative) -38
Priti Patel (Conservative) -48
Boris Johnson (Conservative) -51
Michael Gove (Conservative) -57
Dominic Cummings (SAGE) -69
I know some will say that this is mildly encouraging for Sir Keir Starmer, but given that he hasn’t had much time or opportunity to get on anyone’s nerves yet, I’m not sure a neutral rating is much to write home about. Meanwhile, these numbers are a rude awakening for anyone in the Tory ranks who would fondly like to imagine that Michael Gove’s Scottish background and accent are some kind of secret weapon – he’s somehow less popular than even the Prime Minister.
To return to the subject of last night’s stitch-up at the SNP’s NEC, quite blatantly intended to prevent Joanna Cherry and James Dornan standing at next year’s election, what I would say is this. When we have a wildly popular leader, who commands respect and admiration in Scotland, the rest of the UK and to some extent even internationally, it would plainly be in all our interests to be able to get behind her and achieve a thumping, united mandate next May. But if that’s going to happen, it really does take two to tango. You can’t turn the SNP into a cold house for those with certain perfectly legitimate views (for example self-ID sceptics) and then lecture the people you’ve alienated about how they still have to vote for you anyway. Maintaining a big tent requires a bit of give and take, not just a one-way process of take. Nicola Sturgeon is in so many ways a good leader, and now would be an excellent (and indeed essential) moment for her to demonstrate that once again by asking for the NEC’s decisions to be urgently reviewed before any lasting damage is done.
So many independence supporters would prefer to stick with the SNP in May. Make it possible for them. Don’t put up needless walls.
