Support for the SNP at the next Westminster election also falls short of the 50 per cent required to win a so-called ‘de facto’ referendum on Scottish independence, based on responses to the survey.

Asking a non-standard question of whether people believe Scotland should leave or remain within the UK, the poll also shows support for remaining in the UK at 59 per cent compared to 41 per cent, with no changes since the previous poll by the group.

The poll, undertaken by Survation between December 22 and January 1, interviewed 1,025 Scottish adults aged 16 and over online.

he judgement on the SNP’s record running public services is clear, with a majority of Scots stating they believe the SNP is doing “not well” on the majority of policy areas.

The survey shows 61 per cent of Scots believe the SNP is performing poorly with the NHS, the economy, and the railways, with 58 per cent agreeing when asked about ferries and social care.More than half (52 per cent) also state the party is performing poorly with education, compared to 39 per cent stating they are doing well.

The SNP are judged to be performing best on welfare and benefits (41 per cent well), climate change prevention (41 per cent), and crime and policing (40 per cent).