Miliband's ratings nearly as bad as Clegg's
Scotland rejects anti-independence coalition

The breakdowns from the latest YouGov poll for the Sunday Times show that the unpopularity of all the UK party leaders is at its greatest in Scotland with all three party leaders showing significant negative ratings.

The Tory Prime Minister David Cameron’s unpopularity is five times as great in Scotland as it is across Great Britain (-37 to -7); and the unpopularity of Labour’s Ed Miliband in Scotland is nearly as great that of the LibDems’ Nick Clegg (-58 to -59).

In contrast the latest poll ratings for First Minister Alex Salmond (Ipsos-MORI, December 2011) show 62% of people in Scotland are satisfied with his leadership.

Figures from the Sunday Times YouGov poll also show that the extent of the UK Coalition government’s unpopularity is also greatest in Scotland with 63% saying it is bad for people like them compared to only 13% saying it is good. This compares to 53% saying bad and 21% good for Great Britain as a whole.

On the question of whether the Coalition government is managing the economy well or badly 71% of people in Scotland say badly compared to only 24% who saw well – a net dissatisfaction of -47. This compares to 56% badly and 36% well for Great Britain as a whole - a net dissatisfaction that is over half that of Scotland at -20.

Commenting SNP MSP Bill Kidd said: “Scottish voters are clear that David Cameron, or any other of the leaders of the anti-independence parties, do not represent their needs.

“The UK Government’s refusal to change its economic strategy, and Labour’s recent acquiescence, to invest in the capital projects that would help to create jobs and support recovery are just part of their problem.

“Panic induced comments from anti-independence party leaders to lecture Scots on an outdated union do not match the aspirations of the people of Scotland.

“Their recent remarks are the same old and tired Tory scaremongering and they may want to rethink their language before they alienate more voters in Scotland. Whilst they cling to an outdated union and fails to offer the full financial powers the Scottish people want the SNP will continue to lead the ambitions of the people across the country for Scotland to have the same status and powers as any other nation.

“As the election resoundingly demonstrated, the ambitions of the Scottish people go far beyond the inadequate Scotland Bill proposed by the anti-independence parties. And the SNP will ensure that people can vote to achieve a vibrant, successful, independent Scotland in the referendum in the second half of this Parliament - exactly as we said in the election.”