Alex Salmond voted most unpopular politician in Scotland

A new poll shows that the ex-SNP and current Alba party leader Alex Salmond is the most unpopular politician in Scotland.

The polling, conducted by Redfield and Wilton Strategies, showed that Alex Salmond had an approval rating of -57.

Salmond resigned from the SNP in 2017 to fight allegations of sexual misconduct which he denied. In January 2019, he was charged with 14 offences. In August 2019 he was compensated £500,000 by the Scottish Government and later acquitted of all charges after trial in March 2020. In 2021, he criticised the Scottish government’s investigations into these allegations under Nicola Sturgeon’s leadership.

First minister Sturgeon was found to be the most popular politician among those polled, with an approval rating of +14, slightly lower than earlier this year.

Even Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s approval rating, which has long been highly negative in Scotland, was found to be well above Salmond at -38 per cent.

Support for the Union was also found to be slightly higher than support for independence.

Timing of a future referendum on independence was also split, with 41% backing a vote within five years, while 42% do not.

The poll surveyed 1000 Scottish voters on September 18, the seven-year anniversary of the independence referendum.

SNP MP Pete Wishart commented on the results via Twitter: