Lib Dem Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander has hit out at polls which suggest he will be one of the most high-profile ministerial victims of the General Election.

The Highland MP predicted that he would save his seat in May because he had "delivered" for the area and was up against a "a bunch of nationalists who want to carry on a fight for independence by the back door".

However, he admitted that there was a "real battle" in the weeks to come.

Earlier this week a poll carried out for Lord Ashcroft, a Tory donor, put Mr Alexander ten points behind the SNP in his constituency.

Another Ashcroft poll suggested Douglas Alexander, Labour's election campaign chief and shadow foreign secretary, would lose his seat, alongside many of his fellow Scottish Labour MPs.

Lib Dem party leader Nick Clegg Mr Clegg also hit out at a poll which suggested he stands to lose his seat of Sheffield Hallam to Labour.

A poll by Survation for Unite the union put Labour on 33 per cent, with the Lib Dems second on 23 per cent.

Mr Clegg denounced the poll's findings as "nonsense".

The Deputy Prime Minister said: "This poll is such utter, utter bilge. Surprise, surprise, the trade union paymasters of the Labour party come out with a poll that shows the Labour party ahead."

Lord Ashcroft's polls questioned voters about their intentions in 16 of 59 Scottish constituencies.

The survey suggested Labour could be facing the loss of its Glasgow stronghold to the SNP on May 7.