FIRST Minister Alex Salmond’s popularity has sunk to an all-time low, an opinion poll revealed today.
Mr Salmond was found to be less popular with the electorate than Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
A new survey of more than 1,000 voters revealed that the First Minister’s approval rating was 46%, compared to 47% for Mr Brown.
Labour MSP Richard Baker claimed Mr Salmond’s previous prediction that his party was set to win 20 seats in this year’s General Election was a “joke”.
Mr Baker said: “Mr Salmond’s SNP has let down Scotland by not providing enough funding for schools and hospitals.
“His personal unpopularity shows that his prediction about winning 20 seats is a joke.”
However, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon claimed Mr Salmond was still popular with voters, after 32% of those interviewed in the poll said they would back the SNP in elections.
Ms Sturgeon said: “Almost three years into government, this level of public support is extraordinarily strong, and the First Minister’s ratings are also strong and positive.”
Mr Brown, meanwhile, was today expected to go on the offensive over law and order, accusing the Tories of stoking the “fear of crime” among the public.
In a keynote speech, the Prime Minister was to attack the Conservatives for “abusing” the crime statistics in order to create “a public sense of panic”.
Buoyed by a weekend opinion poll showing the Tories’ lead has been slashed to just two points, he was to reject David Cameron’s claim that Britain is a “broken society”, accusing the Conservative leader of “talking down” the country.