The Conservative party could lose 58 per cent of past voters in Scotland at the next election, a new poll shows.
The YouGov survey for the Scottish Election Study (SES) looked at the move away from the Tories ahead of the next general election scheduled for later this year.
It spoke to 1,320 people in Scotland, focusing on Conservative voters who backed the party in the 2019 general election and 2021 Holyrood election.
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Some 58 per cent of the 316 respondents said they would not back Rishi Sunak's party at the next vote - up from 42 per cent in October.
The findings were presented by the SES on Saturday (March 2) at the Scottish Conservatives conference in Aberdeen.
But speaking to journalists after his speech at the conference, Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross said he did not recognise the findings.
He said: “I don’t recognise that in any way with what I’ve been picking up on the doorstep. We are going to have a very good general election here in Scotland.
"I think we can hold the seats that we currently have and I think we can make gains, and those gains will be at the expense of the SNP, and I think we will have a good result in many seats right across the country."
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Having campaigned in the Highlands and Islands, the Borders and the north-east, Mr Ross said voters were “responding to what we’re doing in the Scottish Parliament”.
The party leader denied there was panic in the party’s ranks, saying there had been an “upbeat” atmosphere at the party’s conference.
During his speech Mr Ross said the next election would be a "battle for the soul of Scotland".
More data from the Scottish Opinion Monitor is expected early next week.
An SNP spokesperson said: “This Tory Government is finished, and it’s no wonder that even their own voters have had enough of them, after the chaos they’ve inflicted on people’s lives.
“Only a vote for the SNP can remove the Tories from all their seats in Scotland and deliver the strong voice that Scotland needs.”
Scottish Labour has been contacted for comment.
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