Labour set to seize 10 seats from SNP after new leader elected -pollster

LABOUR will have an opportunity to seize vital seats from the Scottish National Party at the next general election following Humza Yousaf’s appointment as Scotland’s First Minister, a top polling expert said today.

- David Bond

Mr Yousaf, right, was set to be confirmed as the first leader from an ethnic minority background to hold the biggest job in Scottish politics this afternoon, following a bruising and divisive leadership contest to replace Nicola Sturgeon.

But the SNP-led Scottish government has come under fire over the delivery of public services and soaring NHS waiting lists with Mr Yousaf facing sharp criticism for his record as the SNP’s health secretary.

Election expert Professor Sir John Curtice, from the University of Strathclyde, said recent polling shows Labour has closed the SNP’s lead to around 10 points north of the border.