THE Scottish National party is on course for a decisive victory in the Holyrood election, according to the most comprehensive survey of public opinion since the campaign began.

With only 11 days to go until polling, the SNP continues to extend its lead over Labour, which now requires a seismic turnaround in its fortunes to avoid defeat.

A YouGov poll for The Sunday Times puts the SNP seven points clear of Labour in both the first-past-the-post and regional votes for the Scottish parliament. In the constituency vote, the SNP is on 37%, Labour 30%, the Liberal Democrats 15%, the Scottish Conservatives 14% and others 4%. In the regional vote the SNP is on 35%, Labour 28%, the Tories and Lib Dems 13% and other 11%.

If replicated in the election on May 3, it would put the SNP on 50 seats, eight ahead of Labour, with the Lib Dems on 18, the Tories on 16, with the Greens capturing two seats and independent candidates fighting over a single seat.

The result would leave Labour and the Lib Dems five seats short of being able to form a majority coalition and would almost certainly result in an SNP/Lib Dem administration. The poll also indicates that Labour appears to have misjudged the public mood by refusing to endorse more powers for the Scottish parliament. A majority of Scots favour extending the devolution settlement in one form or another with only 17% supporting the status quo.

A minority of voters - 26% - support full independence, with seven out of ten believing that separatism would mean higher taxes and 42% saying they would be worse off.

However, 70% want the chance to vote in an independence referendum - which would include a question on more powers — within the next four years.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Jack McConnell accepted that more powers were now “inevitable”. The first minister, who spent yesterday campaigning with Gordon Brown in Edinburgh, said the current devolution settlement was “flexible”, adding: “I have no doubt that there will be other powers transferred in the next four years.”

The SNP will seek to drive home its advantage this week by publishing a list of 100 top Scottish business people who support the party. Among them are Brian Souter, the Stagecoach chairman, Sandy Orr, chief executive of City Inn Hotels, and Dan Macdonald, chief executive of Macdonald Estates.

The poll reveals that Alex Salmond, the SNP leader, continues to enjoy higher personal ratings than any of his rivals, with 35% of voters believing he would make a good first minister, compared with 23% for McConnell.

Twice as many find McConnell dull, out of touch and not leadership material, while four times as many view him as weak. Salmond is considered more arrogant but also more likable, intelligent and trustworthy.

The poll also contains bad news for Brown, the chancellor, who is failing to win support for his attempt to become prime minister even in his own country. More Scots (40%) think he would be bad for Scotland than good (35%).

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