A shock YouGov poll released today has revealed that George Galloway is the best-known opposition leader in Scotland.
The poll, conducted between the 4th and 8th March, surveyed 1100 adults in Scotland and showed Galloway ahead of all other leaders, including Douglas Ross, Anas Sarwar, Willie Rennie and Michelle Ballantyne.
In what will surely serve as a wake-up call to other opposition parties, Scots are increasingly viewing George Galloway as the strongest opposition figure to the SNP. Galloway sits only one point behind Conservative Leader of the Opposition Douglas Ross on this question, and ahead of Mr Ross in many regions.
These regions include South Scotland, where Mr Galloway is standing this May – where he is regarded by 12% of respondents as the strongest figure to oppose the SNP, and Lothian, where this figure is 10%. Both are ahead of Douglas Ross who sits on 11% and 8% respectively.
Indeed, ‘Leave’ voters in the EU referendum across Scotland believe Galloway would provide the strongest opposition to the SNP in the Scottish Parliament more so than for any other opposition leader.
The poll makes sorry reading for the fledgling leader of Reform UK Scotland, Michelle Ballantyne MSP. In her own region of South Scotland, less than 1% of voters thought that she was the strongest leader to take the fight to the SNP in Holyrood.
Commenting on the poll, George Galloway said: “It is abundantly clear that I am the one the Nationalists fear. From social media abuse, relentless articles in The National, to the great Humza Yousaf going on the attack.
“They said when we started out last July that they would ignore us, that we would do nothing, go nowhere. Well they aren’t ignoring us now.
“Across Scotland, voters are waking up and realising that by all metrics, Scotland has gotten worse under SNP rule. Swathes of voters are – just once – voting tactically to stop the SNP this May.
“Despite the recent vote on the Hate Crime Bill, the main issue in this election is Separatism. The only way of denying the Separatists of their prize – IndyRef2 – is to hold your nose and vote tactically.
“Please follow our guides: vote for the best-placed anti-SNP candidate in the constituencies, and vote for All for Unity on the Regional List vote.”
See the full results of the poll here: Alliance4Unity_Results_210308 (1)