Salmond Leaps in North East

“Best First Minister Survey” shows ALBA Party Leader ahead of the field in the North East of Scotland while almost one-quarter of SNP voters across Scotland back Salmond for First Minister over Yousaf

A new Find Out Now poll shows Alex Salmond now the favoured choice as best First Minister in the North East of Scotland. The former First Minister leads the way as the choice of 25.4% of North East voters ahead of current First Minister Humza Yousaf (18.9%), Labour leader Anas Sarwar (17.2%), Tory Douglas Ross (14.8%) with the leaders of the Greens and Liberals trailing.

Across Scotland as a whole, Yousaf remains ahead with 25.8 % support, with Sarwar and Salmond tightly grouped together for second place at 18.2, 17.1 and 15.4 per cent respectively.

However exactly one year into his leadership Humza Yousaf faces the uncomfortable finding that almost one-quarter (22.7%) of SNP-identified voters believe that Salmond would make the best First Minister.

ALBA Party Chair Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh hailed the findings:

“This remarkable poll is the shape of things to come since there is no better determinant of Scottish Parliament voting on the list vote than who is the peoples’ preferred candidate for First Minister.

"With Alex Salmond as leader, ALBA are in a strong position to sweep the North East of Scotland, but also across the country as a whole, we could do exceptionally well in 2026. With already more than 15 per cent backing Alex as the best First Minister ALBA could be looking at 20 seats or more in the next Scottish Parliament.

"It is clear that more and more people want to see the adults back in the room in the Scottish Parliament, to restore its reputation for governmental competence as an essential platform for achieving the support to take the country to independence.”