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JIM Murphy faces a massive job in restoring Labour’s fortunes after a poll showed just one in four voters thinks his leadership will make the party more successful.

The Daily Record survey, taken days after Murphy’s election as Scottish Labour leader, shows the SNP continuing to dominate Westminster and Holyrood voting intentions.

The Survation poll of 1000 people shows the nationalist surge continuing with a record-breaking 48 per cent of voters saying they will back the SNP in the May general election.

With the SNP up two points from November and Labour unchanged on 24 per cent, the Nats are outgunning Labour two to one across the country.

The poll would leave ex-leader Alex Salmond – if he wins the Gordon seat – going to the Commons with 54 SNP MPs in 59 constituencies – and just four remaining with Labour.

Projected percentage of electoral support at 2015 General Election Survation

The Tories are on 16 per cent, down one point, the Lib Dems on five points, down one, with UKIP at four per cent and the Greens at one per cent.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “This is a great early Christmas present for the SNP – our best Survation poll rating for a UK election, as well as being over 50 per cent for the Scots Parliament constituency vote for the first time.

“But we take absolutely nothing for granted – and the hard work begins in the New Year to ensure we achieve a strong group of SNP MPs to give Scotland the strongest possible voice at Westminster.

“That way, we can use our influence to bring an end to austerity economics, make Scotland free of Trident nuclear weapons and get the powers Scotland needs to build a fairer society and more prosperous economy.”

Projected Scottish seats after 2015 General Election Survation

SNP general election campaign director Angus Robertson MP added: “The poll shows that Jim Murphy has had a reverse honeymoon, with the SNP stretching our lead even further since he took up the post.

“On these figures, Labour would even lose Mr Murphy’s seat. The poll shows that more people are less likely to vote Labour under his leadership than more likely.”

Murphy claimed the choice in May would be to remove the Tories with Labour or protest against them with the SNP.

He said: “Voting SNP or Green in 2015 could accidentally keep the Tories in power.

“Scottish Labour are changing. We are rewriting the party’s constitution so that decisions about Scotland are made here... The days of the Scottish Labour leader having to ask the party in London about things are gone.

“I want Scotland to be the fairest country in the world. That’s why we will increase the taxes of the richest to pay for our NHS and schools.

“During the referendum Scotland was divided between Yes or No. But in the general election most Scots will be united in wanting to get David Cameron out of Downing Street.”

The survey came against a UK-wide poll that gave Ed Miliband’s Labour Party a lead of seven points at 36 per cent, with the Tories on 29 per cent and UKIP down three to 16 per cent.

Pollsters Survation also asked people about their attitudes to Murphy.

Overall 14 per cent of the sample said that Murphy made them more likely to vote Labour, while 18 per cent said they were less likely to do so. For 57 per cent, Murphy made no difference

A quarter think Labour will be more successful with Murphy at the helm, compared with 16 per cent who think they won’t.

But the figures on party loyalty brings some good news for Murphy and his deputy Kezia Dugdale.

The figures boost his Scottish “coalition” strategy after 28 per cent of Labour voters, 14 per cent of Tory voters and 22 per cent of Lib Dems said, “I am more likely to vote Labour now Jim Murphy is Scottish Labour leader”.

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And 30 per cent of Labour voters and 37 per cent of Tory voters said: “ The Scottish Labour Party will be more successful now Jim Murphy has been elected leader”.

Only three per cent of Labour voters and eight per cent of Tories said that the party would be less successful.

There is also evidence of a soft side to the SNP vote. Asked if they would seriously consider voting for another party 21 per cent of those intending to vote SNP say they would seriously consider voting Labour.

But this is countered by 19 per cent of those intending to vote Labour saying they’d seriously consider voting SNP.

Polling expert John Curtice commented: “Murphy is not the magic bullet. It is going to require more than a new kid on the block – he has to persuade people that May is not a re-run of the referendum.”

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