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Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard has won a much-needed boost from a survey showing his party have leap-frogged the Tories into second place.

Labour would pick up extra seats at Holyrood and Westminster if the results of the poll of more than 1000 Scots were repeated in an election.

The news will come as a blow to Ruth Davidson, who has established the Tories as the main opposition to the SNP in recent years.

(Image: PA) (Image: Reuters)

It will also worry First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who has failed to improve the performance of the SNP since they shed 21 MPs and half a million votes in the general election.

The poll by Survation – the only firm to accurately ­forecast June’s ­election result – put the SNP on 37 per cent – the same as they polled in June.

But Labour are up one point to 28 per cent and the Tories have dropped four to 25 per cent.

Poll expert Professor John Curtice said: “Scotland has gone from being a land of safe seats to a land of marginals. Even a change of just one per cent could see some seats change hands.”

(Image: Getty Images)

He said the Scottish Tories appeared to be suffering from the fallout from the general election and difficulties in the Brexit negotiations.

In recent months, PM Theresa May has suffered a disastrous conference speech, the loss of Sir Michael Fallon from her Cabinet in the sexual ­harassment scandal and is dealing with a pornography row hanging over First Secretary Damian Green.

A UK-wide Survation poll published yesterday showed Jeremy Corbyn has stretched his lead over the Tories to eight points – the largest gap in any poll for five months.

The pattern being repeated in ­Scotland will come as a relief for Leonard. Since he took over last month, the news has been­ ­dominated by a row over the involvement of his predecessor, Kezia Dugdale, in the reality TV show I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here.

Meanwhile, Curtice said Sturgeon would be worried by findings she could lose a pro-independence majority at the Scottish Parliament.

Support for the SNP in the ­constituency vote has dropped from 46 per cent in the last Holyrood ­election in May 2016 to 39 per cent.

On the regional vote, the party has dropped by nine points from 42 per cent to 33 per cent. On a uniform swing, the results would mean the nationalists would not be able to secure a majority at Holyrood even with the support of pro-indy Greens. However, support for Scottish ­independence is two points higher than it was in the 2014 referendum. Now 53 per cent say they would vote No, with 47 per cent backing Yes.

Curtice said: “This is another reminder that there has been no drop in support for independence in the way there has been a decline in support for the SNP.”

Last night, Labour’s chief whip James Kelly said: “As we saw in the general election, voters are coming back to Labour. The SNP and the Tories offer nothing but division and despair at Holyrood and Westminster.

“Labour, in contrast, have inspired voters across the country with a vision of hope and real change.”

A Scottish Conservative spokesman said: “This poll highlights the need for a strong unionist alternative to the SNP who are willing to protect Scots from huge tax rises.

“Only the Scottish Conservatives are in a position to do this.”

SNP business convener Derek Mackay insisted it was a “remarkable achievement” for the SNP to still hold a comfortable poll lead after 11 years in government at Holyrood.

● Survation interviewed 1017 Scots aged over 16 online between November 27 and 30.