Labour could win at least 10 seats in Scotland at the next general election following Humza Yousaf's takeover of the SNP, a top pollster has said.
John Curtice, professor of politics at Strathclyde University, said there are "around 10 seats" which could fall to Keir Starmer's party.
Yousaf was elected as SNP leader on Monday with 52 per cent of the vote after the second round.
He had 48 per cent after the first round, with rival Kate Forbes on 41 per cent and outsider Ash Regan on 11 per cent.
Labour's only MP in Scotland is Edinburgh South's Ian Murray. The party had 41 seats in 2010 but lost all but one of them in 2015.
The party gained six seats in 2017 but lost them again two years later.
Curtice told TalkTV: “I think the Labour Party will certainly feel they have an opportunity and they are quite right to feel that way.
“They are now running at about 30% in Scotland. That leaves them only 10 points behind the SNP.
“The reason why that matters is that at kind of level of lead, the Labour Party begins to pick up seats from the SNP.
“There are around 10 seats in Scotland which might fall to Labour if the SNP lead across Scotland as a whole is down to 10 points.”
He added: “The Labour Party is the one unionist party that has some ability to appeal to some people who are in favour of independence but are not necessarily going to vote for the SNP.
“The crucial question is whether the Labour Party can increase that constituency.”
Yousaf is expected to be voted in as first minister at Holyrood on Tuesday. He will officially be sworn in at the Court of Session in Parliament House in Edinburgh on Wednesday.
He will then announce his cabinet and will face his first-ever First Minster's Questions on Thursday.
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