THE SNP is set to win a narrow majority at May’s Holyrood election while Labour could overtake the Tories into second place, a new poll has indicated.
The Survation poll predicts that Nicola Sturgeon’s party would return 67 MSPs to Holyrood following polling day, two more seats than required for an overall majority.
The forecast of 67 seats is the lowest the SNP has polled since January 2020.
The findings, reported by the Daily Record, forecasts that the SNP will increase their 2016 election performance by four MSPs – while all other opposition parties would take up 62 seats at Holyrood.
The poll indicates that the Conservatives would see their number of MSPs cut from 31 to 21 and be replaced by Labour as the official opposition at Holyrood – who are forecast to maintain their current 23 MSPs with 20% of the vote share.
The Tories would be bumped into third place, according to the poll, despite enjoying a vote share of 21%.
The survey was conducted before Anas Sarwar was named the new Scottish Labour leader on Saturday.
READ MORE: Anas Sarwar warns Keir Starmer over taking Scotland for granted
The study estimates that the Greens will increase their share of seats at Holyrood from six to 11, while the Lib Dems would increase their group by one MSP to a total of six.
Pro-independence parties would have 78 seats in Holyrood - a substantial majority of 27, according to the study.
The poll of 1,000 Scots found the SNP is expected to receive an average 50 per cent of the votes in the 73 constituencies, down just 1% form the last Survation study and 38% would back the SNP in regional lists, a two-point drop since the last Survation poll.
Ahead of Ms Sturgeon set to appear in front of the Salmond committee on Wednesday, the Daily Record poll also asked Scots who would make a better First Minister – with 60% backing Ms Sturgeon and just 12% who backed Alex Salmond.
READ MORE: Latest Scottish independence poll is first in 22 to not give Yes a lead
But half of respondents told pollsters they believed the First Minister should quit her job if she is found to have broken the ministerial code, 33% said she should not step aside and 17% did not know.
Yesterday, it was revealed that support for independence and remaining in the union was split at 50-50 when don’t knows were excluded following a Survation study for the Sunday Mail.
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