POLITICS…The Scotsman newspaper are today claiming that a poll conducted by You-Gov on the newspapers behalf shows the Labour party under Iain Gray are ahead of the SNP in Holyrood voting intentions.
The paper claims that the poll gives Labour a lead in both the Holyrood constituency vote and the list vote.
According to the newspaper, voting intention figures put Labour on 40 per cent on the Holyrood constituency vote (SNP 34) and 36 per cent on the regional list (SNP31).
Recent polls have shown huge variations in their results with one carried out by the SNP showing the parties neck and neck whilst another around the same time giving Labour a ten point lead.
The Scotsman poll comes three weeks after the Labour party conference in Manchester and immediately follows the SNP Perth conference.
Whilst both parties are sure to have received a ‘bounce’ from their conferences the SNP’s will have suffered as a result of having been denied anything like the same level of TV coverage afforded Labour.
The SNP conference also saw Scottish newspapers, including The Scotsman, run ‘smear’ stories against Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond.
The Labour party will hold another conference in Oban from Oct 29th to Oct 31st. This conference will allow the party’s Holyrood group further opportunities to raise their profile in the run up to next years Holyrood election.
It remains to be seen what coverage the BBC will give this second Labour conference.