Poll Axed

Reluctant Hero · Poll Axed

Poll Axed

The latest opinion poll for the Daily Mail was published today and it could not have been better news for the SNP. Support for the party has reached an unprecedented 48% with Labour lagging way behind on 32%. The Lib Dems and Tories are not even in the picture with 8% each.

Labour is still in limbo until they get rid of McConnell and elect a new leader. Who is that leader going to be? Well, the hot favourite in the press is Wendy Alexander. Would this be a step forward for Labour or a step back? Well only time will tell, but what I am interested in at this stage is whether there is going to be an actual leadership contest or will it be yet another coronation?

The Lib Dems must be severely regretting the fact that they did not enter the coalition discussions. For if they had, they may have benefited from this upsurge in support for the SNP and who knows, may even be challenging Labour for second place.

Those are the decisions you live and die by. I just wonder how long Nicol Stephen will remain in his post?

Alex Salmond seems to be making all the right decisions at the moment. Demanding a Scottish Six, visiting flooded areas of Scotland, hosting a function for people responding to the attempted suicide attack on Glasgow Airport, overturning A&E closure decisions and much more.

Even when the SNP were defeated over its transport policy and were forced to support the Edinburgh tram plans, they managed to turn this into a victory of sorts, capping the expenditure budget at £600m.

There are no doubt going to be numerous other challenging moments over the next 3.75 years the SNP have left in government, not least the potential impending recession. However, if Salmond continues in the same manner as he has over the last three months or so, then he will have nothing to fear from Alexander or whoever Labour elect as their next leader.

SLG

The main problem I see for the SNP with Wendy coming in, is that it will give the Labour/Unionist press a chance to talk her and Labour up. Even today, the Evening News was talking about the 'stiffer test' Salmond will face when Wendy takes over. There is a chance that this will become something of a self-fulfilling prophecy by the press. Salmond will need to play it very tight in the first few weeks when/if she takes over.