Anas Sarwar is now more popular than Nicola Sturgeon, according to a new opinion poll.
The Scottish Labour leader came top of the popularity contest weeks after securing second place at the council elections - his party’s strongest showing in years.
The First Minister has been Scotland’s pre-eminent political leader for years, winning eight elections in a row and steering the country through the pandemic.
But a poll by Ipsos for STV reveals she has fierce competition from Sarwar, who took over last year.
Over half of those polled - 53 per cent - said they were satisfied with her performance as FM, with 41 per cent dissatisfied and six per cent not knowing.
Her net approval rating came out as plus 12 - not as good as +19 for Sarwar, who despite having a lower satisfaction rating did not have as many people saying they were unhappy with his leadership.
Embattled Scots Tory leader Douglas Ross was the most unpopular Holyrood leader, with a net rating of minus 27.
Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton polled plus 4, while Green co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater had a rating of plus 2 each.
Meanwhile, the independence debate remains finely balanced at 50/50 among those likely to vote either Yes or No in an immediate referendum.
The Ipsos snapshot also found the public is divided on the best time to hold another referendum, with only a third (32 per cent) supporting the SNP’s stated ambition of holding another referendum by the end of 2023.
The poll was based on 1,000 Scottish adults aged 16+ and was carried out between 23rd to 29th May.
The data comes as criticism mounts over the Sturgeon Government's performance over the ferries debacle and the failure to close the educational attainment gap.
Finance Secretary Kate Forbes also faced flak yesterday over looming cuts to council ad police budgets.
Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “It is clear that, under the leadership of Anas Sarwar, Scottish Labour is re-building.
“Anas Sarwar and the entire Scottish Labour Party is focused on winning the trust and approval of the people of Scotland so that we can build a better future together.”
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