SNP claim the most votes in 2009

The SNP have laid claim to being Scotland’s most popular party after getting more votes than any other party in all elections held in 2009.

Out of a total of nearly one million votes from European Parliament elections and by elections for Westminster and local seats, analysis has shown that the SNP secured the most votes of any party in Scotland. They also enjoyed a 10 percent swing from Labour on a four-way party split.

SNP business convener and parliament minister, Bruce Crawford said: "We are taking nothing for granted in 2010 with a UK general election definitely on the cards. We are ready and prepared for that challenge and these statistics are an encouraging springboard for that campaign.

"The coming Westminster election will be a clear two-way contest between the SNP and Labour and these figures show we can win that contest.”

Scottish Labour have rubbished the SNP’s claims, pointing to electoral successes over 2009 as evidence of their continued popularity in the face of SNP gains.

A Labour spokesperson told The Journal: "These SNP claims sadly ignore the facts that Labour won more council elections than the SNP, beat them spectacularly in the Glasgow by-election, and equalled them in the number of MEPs elected.

“The reality is that the next election is a straight fight between Labour and the Tories, and the vast majority of Scots simply do not trust David Cameron.”

Analysing the SNP’s research, Dr Nicola McEwen from the University of Edinburgh told The Journal: "Cumulating the vote share won by different parties can give us a sense of their relative popularity, but it tells us little about their prospects of success in the general election.

"What really matters in the UK general election is how votes are distributed in individual constituencies, especially ones where the sitting MP has a small majority.

"The SNP's share of voting intentions in recent opinion polls varies widely. More consistent, though, is that Labour's share of the vote in Scotland appears to be holding up.

"Opinion polls suggest that the Conservatives are not making an impact in Scotland as they clearly are in England. The SNP will hope to capture any votes lost by Labour in the election."