PARTY RATINGS AND SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT ELECTION

Early day motion 835, tabled 11 February 2002 by Alex Salmond (Scottish National Party). Signed by 8 members.

That this House welcomes the System Three opinion poll published in the Herald newspaper on Monday 11th February, which shows that the gap between the SNP and New Labour for a Scottish Parliament election is less than it was at the equivalent point in the run-up to the 1999 election, a gap of 11 points in February 1998 having become just three points on the PR vote and nine points on the first-past-the-post ballot; notes that Tory ratings are also down; believes that this shows that the SNP are entering the 2003 Scottish elections with a much stronger base of support even than going into 1999; and further believes that as New labour's problems of sleaze and cronyism grow, Labour ratings will keep going down and the SNP will continue to advance.

Signatures by party: Scottish National Party 5, Plaid Cymru 3.