Poll findings

Holyrood first vote Con 16% Lab 31% Lib Dem 12% SNP 38% Other 2% Westminster Con 22% Lab 36% Lib Dem 13% SNP 27% Other 2%

In the constituency ballot, the SNP scored 38% - up two points on a similar poll in June - and Labour was down five percent to 31%.

On the second list ballot, the nationalists were 36%, up three points; Labour was up two points to 32%; the Tories scored 16% and the Lib Dems 13%.

The Labour Party is still ahead when it came to the Westminster preference - 36% of those questioned said they would back the current administration, although that figure was down by six points since June.

The SNP came in at 27%, the Tories 22% and the Liberal Democrats at 13%.

For the Labour Party, its poll rating was one of the lowest since 1983.

Based on the figures, the Tories are set to win back five Scottish seats at Westminster and the SNP would make three further gains to add to its existing six.

The survey comes as the SNP hold their annual conference in Inverness and the Labour Government suffers fallout from the fuel crisis.

The survey was conducted by telephone and involved 1,000 people across Scotland between 18 and the 20 September.