THE TORIES are heading for a complete wipeout in Scotland, according to two new polls.
If there was a Westminster election tomorrow, the Tories would win just 12 per cent, a YouGov survey in the Times has found, down seven points since May.
Savanta ComRes in their poll for the Scotsman had them at a slightly better 15%.
Either way, the Tories would likely lose all six of their Westminster constituencies.
“The party looks once again like the minnow it was before its revival under the leadership of Ruth Davidson,” Professor Sir John Curtice told the Times.
YouGov had the SNP on 45% of the vote, Labour on 31%, and the Lib Dems on 7%, while Savanta ComRes put the SNP on 46%, Labour on 30% and the Lib Dems down one to 7%.
The Times polls would likely see the SNP gain one seat to win 49, Labour would increase their share to either seven, while the Liberal Democrats would win two.
While a good result for Nicola Sturgeon’s party, it is still short of the 51% of the vote she would want if running the next election as a “de facto referendum.”
Though both polls did also record increases in support for independence. YouGov had support for a Yes vote up five points to 43%, while backing for the Union dropped by one point to 45%, with 7% undecided.
Savanta ComRes had Yes up one point on 45% and No remaining at 46%, with 8% undecided
Both surveys were taken in the wake of Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng’s humiliating U-turn on abolishing the 45p top rate of tax.
YouGov found that Ms Truss had a net satisfaction rating of minus 70 among Scots, just one point better than Boris Johnson in his final weeks in office.
And with 8% of those questioned believing the new Prime Minister is doing a good job, the rating for Ms Truss was below the 17% who said this about Mr Johnson in May.
In Holyrood constituencies, Savanta Comres found the SNP would remain far ahead on 47%, followed by Labour on 25%, the Tories down one point to 17% and and the Lib Dems on 8%.
On the regional list, the SNP would garner 32% of votes, 26% for Labour, 19% for the Tories, 13% for the Greens and 8% for the Lib Dems.
The SNP Deputy Westminster Leader Kirsten Oswald said: "The Tory economic crisis engulfing the UK demonstrates Scotland needs independence to escape Westminster control and get rid of the Tories for good.
"This poll shows voting SNP at the next election could wipe out every Tory MP in Scotland – and projects an increase in SNP seats and support for independence.
"The SNP is the main challenger to every Tory MP in Scotland – and with a snap election possible at any point the SNP is ready to fight the Tories and win.
"With all the Westminster parties signed up to a hard Brexit and broken Tory economics, independence is the only way to keep Scotland safe – and only independence can ensure Scotland never again gets Tory governments we don't vote for.”
Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “These polls clearly show that the people of Scotland want change and that change is coming - Labour is that change.
“People across the UK are being failed by this incompetent and immoral government but there is a majority for change.
“The next electoral test in Scotland will be a general election – not a referendum – and people have a choice between a Labour government that is on your side or a Tory Government that acts in the interests of the wealthy.
“At that election, Scots have a chance to boot the Tories out of Downing St.
"Change is possible but only if people choose it."
Chris Hopkins, political research director at Savanta ComRes, said: “The difference between Scottish Labour and the Scottish Conservatives, particularly in the Westminster voting intention, will be particularly striking, with the former opening up a 15pt gap and fully establishing themselves as Scotland's second party.
"Given the unpopularity of the Conservatives across the rest of the UK at the moment, it's no surprise the story is similar in Scotland.
"However, the SNP remaining strong on 46 per cent is notable. I would not have been surprised to see Labour potentially eat into that SNP vote share, even marginally, and the fact that they did not all-but confirms that the Labour Party are fishing in the unionist vote pool rather than a specifically centre-left one in Scotland.
"And even with 30 per cent of the vote, without taking votes from the SNP directly, it's unlikely that Labour would gain many more seats in Scotland.
"Their route to government, therefore, rests on beating the Conservatives handsomely in England and Wales, rather than relying on Scotland as they did under Blair and Brown."
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