SNP launches its 'biggest independence campaign' since 2014 but new poll finds half of Scots view party as incompetent
John Swinney faces a collapse in his personal approval rating, with 53 per cent of Scots now viewing him unfavourably against just 34 per cent favourably.The SNP's "Choose Scotland" campaign will target nearly 1.5 million Scottish households with an independence survey, backed by a £100,000 budget.
The SNP has opened its Aberdeen conference by announcing the £100,000 'Choose Scotland' campaign — its largest pro-independence drive since the 2014 referendum — yet a YouGov poll published on the same day found half of Scots consider the party incompetent, with 53 per cent branding it "out of touch" and only a quarter calling it "trustworthy". Transport secretary Stephen Flynn told delegates "we are winning the argument" and challenged Burnham to "bring it on" over an independence referendum. Burnham is due to visit Scotland on Friday, with his personal approval rating north of the border already outstripping Swinney's.
The poll found 53 per cent of Scots hold an unfavourable view of Swinney — while Burnham is the only Scottish party leader with a positive net approval rating.
More than 50 SNP branches had backed an alternative independence strategy before conference, but the amendment was rejected, with the party's national secretary casting the deciding vote against.
SNP Westminster leader Dave Doogan attacked Burnham as 'Labour's latest messiah', insisting Scotland was 'not hanging around' for a decade-long fix of 'broken, Brexit Britain'.
