THE SNP is on course for a knife-edge majority at the Holyrood election on Thursday, a new poll has found.
But Opinium’s latest polling for Sky News reveals support for the SNP has slightly declined, while the independence question is split 50/50 once undecideds are removed.
Nicola Sturgeon's favourability ratings have also fallen but she remains the most popular leader with a net approval rating of +17, down from +23 in Opinium's poll last month.
If the SNP win an overall majority, 42 per cent of Scots want a second referendum within five years, down seven points since last month.
Meanwhile, the proportion wanting it within two years has dropped five points to 28%.
In the constituency vote, the SNP is down two points since the last Opinium poll in April to 51%.
Both the Conservatives and Labour have made gains – 23% (+2) and 19% (+1) respectively.
In the regional vote, SNP is down to 41% (-3) while the Tories take 23% of the vote share (+1) and Labour sees no change with 17%.
The Greens are on 8%, the Lib Dems 6% and Alex Salmond's Alba Party 3%.
Using a uniform swing calculator, a crude method to predict the number of seats using the percentage share of the vote, this would see the SNP winning 67 seats, giving the party a majority – but the margins are tight.
The Tories would take 29 seats, Labour 20, the Greens eight, and the Lib Dems five.
Opinium’s latest voting intention reveals little appetite for a possible coalition.
The only situation which more people think would be good for Scotland than bad for Scotland is an SNP majority (46% good for Scotland, vs 41% bad for Scotland).
This is followed by an SNP-Green majority (37% good for Scotland, vs 45% bad for Scotland).
Any coalition involving the Alba Party is very badly received by voters, with just 14% thinking an SNP-Alba coalition would be good for Scotland, and 17% thinking one also including the greens would be good for Scotland.
Meanwhile, 65% and 62% respectively think those outcomes would be bad for Scotland.
Elsewhere, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has continued to see a boost in his numbers, with a net favourability of +13, up from +10 in April, and -3 in March.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross also seems to have recovered a little (net of -26, up from -31), but Alex Salmond languishes with a net approval rating of -70.
Opinium Research carried out an online survey of 1,015 Scottish adults aged 16 or over between April 28 and May 3.
Chris Curtis, senior research manager at Opinium, said: “The campaign finishes much where it started, with razor thin margins set to decide whether Nicola Sturgeon can govern alone, or will need the backing of other pro-independence parties.
"But despite that fact, our latest polling shows the Scottish public are not necessarily keen on another Scottish Independence referendum.
"Even if she does win a majority, just 43% think there should be one in the next five years, compared to 50% who think there shouldn’t.
"We have also seen Labour voters harden in their view over the campaign, with just 24% willing to back one in those circumstances.
"Regardless, Sturgeon will argue that a good result this week gives her the mandate to put the question back to the Scottish people, demonstrating just how important this week’s vote will be for the future of the Union."
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