Meltdown! Shock poll puts Scottish Labour on 4 MPs and the SNP on 54

Just to make Scottish Labour’s misery complete – and underline the case for a bold leader who likes winning things – STV have published a poll by Ipsos Mori putting Ed Miliband’s party on just 23 per cent, which would see them losing all but four of their Scottish MPs, against 52 per cent support for the SNP, which would get 54 Westminster seats.

The question was how would those surveyed vote if there were a general election tomorrow. The Scottish Conservatives would lose their one seat, with 10 per cent of the vote, the Lib Dems would retain one with 6 per cent, while the Greens polled 6 per cent, Ukip 2 per cent and others 1 per cent.

Given Labour has never gained power in Westminster without winning in Scotland, this will not make the party’s very nervous Scottish MPs even jumpier. But given there isn’t a general election tomorrow, it is also the most helpful reminder the party could have of the task its new Scottish leader has to grapple with.