scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, can at least feel reassured the Scottish National Party will retain its electoral strength as her country's largest party. But if the recent Panelbase poll is anything worth paying attention to, she should be concerned that her party has reached the peak of their popularity. If the Scottish Conservatives gain 12 seats at their expense, this would represent the slow death of the SNP's independence dream.
'Scottish Conservative have finally discovered their voice'
It is apparent in the midst of humiliating results in Scotland since the 1980s, the Scottish Conservatives have finally discovered their voice as Scotland's unionist party since the 2014 independence referendum.
And with Brexit providing the Scottish Conservatives with the opportunity to become the voice for Scottish Leave voters, this is a truly glorious time to be a Tory north of the border. For too long, Labour took Scotland for granted, and they have failed to critically respond to the SNP's surge in support, leaving Ruth Davidson's party to pick up the mantra.
Considering the Nationalists' dreadful record in government and Ms Sturgeon's lack of cooperation with the Government since the Brexit result, it is questionable why Scots are willing to elect them with 45 seats. Realistically, overthrowing 56 MPs is a substantial task for any party. But the loss of 12 seats is truly catastrophic for the SNP.
'The First Minister would be deprived of the chance to influence Westminster'
Ms Sturgeon believes she may be in for a chance to form the next UK government, yet if the Tories gain 12 Scottish seats, it would only add to Mrs May's majority. The First Minister would be deprived of the chance to influence Westminster. This in itself would represent a significant victory for the Conservatives as a whole.
The SNP will likely emerge from this General Election as the largest Scottish party, but it would not mean Scots want independence. Quite the contrary. It just means unionist parties still need to work harder to overthrow the Nationalists.
