Sebastian Payne

Jim Murphy, Douglas Alexander and Charles Kennedy set to lose seats as SNP march continues

Labour’s efforts to stem the nationalist tide in Scotland aren’t working. Lord Ashcroft has polled eight marginals north of the border and the results confirm that the SNP is on course to conquer Scotland. In three Labour-held seats — East Renfrewshire, Glasgow South West, Paisley & Renfrewshire South — the SNP is set to take the seats with double digit swings. The Nats are 11 points ahead in Paisley, previously held by Douglas Alexander. In Jim Murphy’s seat of East Renfrewshire, a one point Labour lead in February has turned into a nine-point SNP lead.

The news isn’t much better for the Liberal Democrats. The party is set to lose all four marginals Ashcroft has polled: Charles Kennedy in Ross, Skye & Lochaber, Jo Swinson in East Dunbartonshire, Ming Campbell’s old seat North East Fife and Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk. While the first three are set to swing to the SNP, the Tories are surprisingly ahead in Berwickshire by one point.

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