Cameron’s poll ratings crash even further in Scotland

Monday, 26 March 2012 19:39

By Dave Taylor

An analysis of a Sunday Times YouGov poll has piled more misery on David Cameron as his ratings plummet and his party’s “pensioner poll tax” is shown to be the most unpopular in Scotland.

While the small Scottish subsamples in a GB wide poll are of little use in assessing voting intention, they are useful in giving a picture of general attitudes.

The poll shows that, on the day of his address to the Scottish Tories in Troon, 72% of Scots think he is doing badly as Prime Minister, in contrast to 51% of people in England and Wales. His ratings had plummeted from last week when the figure was 67% of Scots and 47% for England and Wales.

This leaves the PM with a negative net rating of -48% in Scotland compared to only -8% for England and Wales.

While few rate Nick Clegg highly, he is even more unpopular in Scotland than Cameron with an approval rate of -61%. 77% of Scots consider that he is doing badly. In England and Wales, his approval rating is -43%.

Scottish Labour can’t take much comfort from these figures. Miliband is even less well thought of in Scotland than he is in England and Wales too, a hat-trick of Unionist unpopularity. 63% of Scots and 62% of those in England and Wales think he is doing badly, and less than a quarter of Scots think he is doing well. A derisory 3% of Scots think he is doing very well.

The misery is compounded for Mr Cameron and his Lib Dem budget allies as the poll shows 77% of Scots say their pensioners’ tax grab was wrong, leaving a net rating of -63%.

Gordon MacDonald, SNP MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, said:

“The Tories have rounded off a miserable weekend with these miserable poll ratings.

“David Cameron’s negative ratings in Scotland have plummeted even further in only a week and his Chancellor’s budget raid on pensioners has been condemned by the people of Scotland.

“The weekend started with Mr Cameron failing to deliver a positive case on the future of Scotland in his conference speech in Troon, which was swiftly followed by Lord Trimble’s tasteless, ill-informed and ill-advised comments about Scotland.

“We then had Ruth Davidson’s uninspiring and short first-time leader’s speech followed by revealations from a stalwart of the party saying he believes ‘the negative arguments of the current leadership will cause more Scots to support independence’.

“Sunday saw Tory Treasurer Peter Cruddas, who personally largely financed the party’s campaign against the alternative vote through a donation of £1.2 million, resign after he was filmed saying that a big enough donation could lead to high-level access to the Prime Minister.

“The Tories have had a devastating weekend, rounded off by these damning poll ratings.

“The message from the people of Scotland to Mr Cameron and his party – the days of the Tories telling Scotland what to do are over.”

Comments

# Marga B 2012-03-27 01:26

Clegg’s obviously doing his job in England, taking the heat off Cameron. How can the man look at himself in the mirror?

# Barontorc 2012-03-27 01:47

There are many Tory supporters in Scotland feeling grossly out of it as they look into the abyss they imagine independence can be – yet, it will not be. Take the step.

# clootie 2012-03-27 07:35

Barontorc

All they have to do is become “Scottish” tories instead of trying to copy the policies of the South of England.

I doubt “profit over people” will ever gain hold in Scotland to the extent it has in London and the SE.

# John Lyons 2012-03-27 10:00

I think it’s also fair to say there are a Lot of Labour supporters in similar situations.

# Macart 2012-03-27 08:06

I didn’t think it was possible for those three to become more unpopular, but I’m always happy to be proven wrong on this issue. 🙂

# nottooweeorstupid 2012-03-27 09:06

They’re certainly working hard at it. Doing a good job too.
‘Oh would some gift the giftie gie us….’ might be appropriate…

# Macart 2012-03-27 10:08

A wee bit o’ humility never hurt anyone. 🙂

# UpSpake 2012-03-27 08:46

Will there ever be another Tory conference in Scotland ?. No venue is too small for the faithful. I’ve always wondered what the future held for all those redundant telephone boxes ?.
Each fitted with a small camera and a microphone would suffice for the faithful to gather. When they are none left, then the boxes can go to a museum.

# Saltire Groppenslosh 2012-03-27 08:50

I don’t trust opinion polls but I’m always happy to see them bash the tories of whatever flavour, whether it be Labour tories, Liberal tories or Conservative tories.

Thank goodness we only have to endure them for another few years.

# John Lyons 2012-03-27 10:05

Before we crack open the bubbly and toast our new freedom, it’s worth remembering that there will be another three or four budgets between now and the referendum.

People will forget this one by then.

For an example, can anyone remember what Labour did with their last Budget in 2010?

No?

The Tories have a few more attempts to use the National budget to buy back votes. (I would actually be surprised if they used the budgets of 2014 to do anything ositice for a Scotland that’s about to say ta ta, but they might try it as one last throw of the dice.)

We cannot rest, not for one day until independence is secured.

# alexb 2012-03-27 10:45

Quoting John Lyons:

Before we crack open the bubbly and toast our new freedom, it’s worth remembering that there will be another three or four budgets between now and the referendum.

People will forget this one by then.

For an example, can anyone remember what Labour did with their last Budget in 2010?

No?

The Tories have a few more attempts to use the National budget to buy back votes. (I would actually be surprised if they used the budgets of 2014 to do anything ositice for a Scotland that’s about to say ta ta, but they might try it as one last throw of the dice.)

We cannot rest, not for one day until independence is secured.

Spot on, John. But at least the unionist parties are doing their best to convince more Scots to vote for independence. The more they interfere, the more they put their foot in it.

# Angry_Weegie 2012-03-27 13:29

Quoting John Lyons:

Before we crack open the bubbly and toast our new freedom, it’s worth remembering that there will be another three or four budgets between now and the referendum.

… and they have another two and a half years to come up with a scare story that works and can be repeated endlessly by their mates in the media. Give a thousand monkeys a thousand days…..

We need to keep working for a YES.

# Angus 2012-03-27 10:29

I think people in general are wise enough to know that Cameron knew about the Tory party fund raising corruption

# proudscot 2012-03-27 10:33

The real enemy of Scotland’s aspirations for independence are not the Tories, but Labour. If you compare the struggle for independence to a war situation, the Tories are the visible enemy, wrapped in Union Flag uniforms.

Labour, on the other hand are the “enemy within”, comparable to the fifth columnists who work sneakily behind the lines, damaging their own country’s chances of victory, in order to curry favour with the enemy and ensure positions of power and profit for themselves under the new regime.

The LibDems? Human shields for the Tories and stretcher bearers for Labour. Otherwise irrelevant.

# ButeHouse 2012-03-27 17:32

Amazing how Alex, the Mad Scotsman’s ratings are light years ahead of the Unionist political leaders.

Mad Scotsman indeed, you have to laugh don’t you?

On the other hand we could just VOTE YES

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Cameron’s poll ratings crash even further in Scotland

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