Voters flee Humza Yousaf's fracturing SNP as poll finds just half of those who ... trends now

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Scottish voters are fleeing the fracturing Scottish National Party with little more than half of those who backed the party at the 2019 general election planning to do so next time, according to a new poll. 

Just 55 per cent of the SNP's backers last time round are still behind Humza Yousaf's troubled party, with 21 per cent saying they will switch to Labour.

The Scottish Election Survey's Scoop Monitor also found that the SNP trails Anas Sarwar's party 38 per cent to 32 per cent in Westminster voting intention.

A second poll by Redfield and Wilton Strategies put the two parties neck and neck on 32 per cent, after the SNP dropped two points. 

It comes as the First Minister deals with a wave of defections and departures after just six months in charge in place of Nicola Sturgeon. MSP and former leadership contender Ash Regan fled to to Alba at the weekend, the third third senior figure to leave since Mr Yousaf took over.

Mr Yousaf is facing also attacks over his handling of attempts to win Scottish independence, while the police continue to investigate claims of fraud before he took over.

But the poll was taken before it was revealed that former senior party figures may have deleted phone messages wanted by the Covid Inquiry from the pandemic period. 

Fraser McMillan, Scottish Election Study researcher, said: 'The data reinforces the impress we've been getting for most of this year that Scottish voters are ready to punish the SNP and the Conservatives, with both parties having spent a long time in power at Holyrood and Westminster respectively.