Alex Salmond is celebrating after a new poll showed the SNP surging ahead of Labour in the race for Holyrood.
The Ipsos Mori poll showed the nationalists opening up a large gap in both the constituency and regional vote, with Labour branding it a “rogue poll.”
The news led to bookmakers slashing the odds on an SNP victory, for the first time installing them as favourites to win the election.
In the constituency vote the SNP were leading with 45% while Labour trailed on 34%, the Tories 10% and the Lib Dems 9%.
The SNP recorded 42% in the regional vote while Labour were on 32%, the Tories on 10%, Lib Dems 8% and the Greens 6%.
According to a projected seat breakdown that would give the SNP 61 seats in the new parliament. Labour would have 45 seats, the Tories 10, Lib Dems 9 and Greens 4.
The SNP overtook Labour in the election battle earlier this week, but the gap was much tighter.
Bookmakers William Hill now say the SNP are favourites for the first time.
“Labour’s odds have gone into freefall and comparisons with Neil Kinnock’s disastrous Labour campaigns when he fell into the sea at Brighton in 1983 then staged a premature victory rally in 1987 are being made,” said spokesman Graham Sharpe.
“Support for Labour has virtually dried up while we are now taking four-figure bets on the SNP the largest so far is £1080 from a Paisley punter.”
SNP campaign director Angus Robertson described the poll as “excellent.”
“It confirms that more and more people are considering voting SNP many for the first time because they want to re-elect the SNP government and Alex Salmond for first minister,” he said.
“We are taking nothing for granted, and will contest the remaining two weeks of the campaign as a close two-horse race.
“We will continue working hard to earn the trust and support of the people for the SNP’s record, team and vision for Scotland.”
But Labour campaign co-ordinator John Park rejected the findings as a “rogue” poll.
“This particular pollster is notoriously unreliable in Scotland, predicting the SNP would win double the number of seats they actually did at the last general election,” he said.
“This poll only takes account of those certain to vote, so ignores huge swathes of the electorate.
“The SNP are now guilty of taking voters for granted, declaring the outcome before a single vote has been cast.”
The poll of 1000 Scots was carried out between April 14 and 17.