A NEW poll has forecast a major boost in the fortunes of the Scottish Greens, putting them on a par with the Scottish Conservatives for regional Holyrood votes come the next election.
The research, carried out by Survation on behalf of the Unionist campaign group Scotland in Union, predicted the two parties would be neck-and-neck with both expected to scoop up 14% of the list vote come the next Scottish Parliament election.
It would be a humiliation for Douglas Ross’s party, with the Conservatives likely to lose their second-place ranking to Labour - who are predicted to pick up 27% of the vote.
The poll, based on 829 responses, put the SNP on course to win 31% of the regional vote, which is the second ballot paper used at Holyrood elections and works as a form of proportional representation after the constituency votes are counted.
It comes amid a slew of polls which show support for the Conservatives collapsing in Scotland.
The poll also suggested a boost in support for the Greens on constituency ballots, as the party was lumped in with other parties for the first vote. The grouping was up by two percentage points but other parties, other than the Greens, were shown on no change or losing support in the regional vote.
The SNP are predicted to win 45% of constituency votes in the poll, while Labour are on 30% and the Tories on 14%.
Scottish Greens leader Lorna Slater said voters were rejecting the Tories’ “economy-busting, planet-wrecking and isolationist approach to politics on both sides of the border”.
She added: “Our work towards delivering a fairer, greener and more equal Scotland for all is clearly striking a chord with voters, given this is the third poll in a row indicating a rise in support for our policies and performance in government.
“We have shown how working progressively, collaboratively and for people and the planet can deliver real action, such as our work with colleagues in parliament this week on delivering new protections over rents and evictions.
“The Tories, meanwhile, are in freefall. Watching them implode as a party is becoming a daily spectacle and we simply never know what self-inflicted disaster they will inflict on the nation next.
“They have no credible leadership, no ideas and no workable plan for the country.”
