Election poll suggests SNP lead

Alex Salmond's personal poll rating was 27% in the Populus survey

A poll suggests the Scottish National Party has a clear lead over Labour in the run-up to the Holyrood election.

The Populus survey, commissioned and published by The Times newspaper, puts the SNP ahead of its rivals in the constituency and regional list battles.

However, the poll also suggests that people in Scotland want their country to remain a part of the UK.

The telephone poll of 1,000 adults was conducted from 21 to 25 March, a period spanning the Budget and its aftermath.

When asked for their views on Scotland's future, 52% of those polled by Populus thought the country should remain part of the UK but with more powers to run its own affairs, with 27% favouring complete independence.

TIMES POLL FINDINGS SNP - 38% (constituency) 35% (list) Labour - 28% (constituency) 30% (list) Lib Dems - 15% (constituency) 14% (list) Tories - 14% (constituency) 14% (list) Others - 6% (constituency) 7% (list)

The poll found that 12% thought the current arrangements for devolution worked well and 6% thought too much power had already been devolved to Holyrood.

The poll showed an SNP lead of 10 points in the constituency vote and five points ahead in the regional vote.

The figures are claimed to be the best of any published poll rating for the SNP since 2005 - and the worst for Labour since last June.

Populus calculates that the poll would result in the SNP being the biggest single party with 50 seats, compared with 43 for Labour; 18 for the Liberal Democrats; 17 for the Tories and one for the Greens.

Other figures in the poll contradict previous survey findings which put SNP leader Alex Salmond ahead as a potential first minister.

LEADER POPULARITY Jack McConnell - 27% Alex Salmond - 27% Annabel Goldie - 10% Nicol Stephen - 5%

The SNP said the poll showed that its "positive" policies to make Scotland more successful reflected the Scottish mood.

Deputy leader Nicola Sturgeon said: "The poll also shows that Labour's negative campaign is rebounding on them.

"Gordon Brown's tax-con Budget has bombed in Scotland.

"For the first time, the SNP are going into the election campaign with a clear lead.

More powers

"That gives us encouragement, but we are taking nothing for granted and will work harder than ever before over the next 36 days to earn the trust and confidence of the Scottish people."

Labour's Scottish Health Minister, Andy Kerr, said in response to the figures: "This poll shows that there is a clear choice between building Scotland with Labour and breaking up Britain with the SNP.

"Sustained attack from Labour has led to support for independence almost halving in less than a month because Scottish families fear the risk of the SNP's core policy."

Tavish Scott, the Scottish Liberal Democrat's election director, said: "This poll shows strong support for the Liberal Democrat policy of more powers for the Scottish Parliament."