SNP Leader John Swinney (left) joins the SNP candidate for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh, Tommy Sheppard, at Portobello Beach and Promenade, while on the General Election campaign trail, June 27, 2024
AS POLLING stations open across Scotland the country faces a “pivotal moment,” Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar says.
He made the remarks ahead of a general election he hopes will see his party return the majority of Scots MPs once more, but his hopes were dealt a blow with a late poll — conducted over the weekend by Savanta for the Scotsman newspaper — showing support for Labour on 31 per cent to the SNP’s 34 per cent.
“Our final Scottish voting intention before July 4 suggests the SNP is ahead of Labour, showing a modest improvement and potentially blunting their losses on election night,” said Savanta’s Chris Hopkins, adding “that being said, Labour’s vote, in particular around the central belt, will still mean it’s likely going to be a very good evening for Anas Sarwar and Keir Starmer.”
The new Scottish Parliament looks set to continue a cycle of managerial tinkering while public services face the axe, writes STEPHEN LOW