On the face of it things are looking up for Labour in Scotland.
One poll this week suggested the party would take half of the SNP’s Westminster seats, were an election held today. It’s clear that the gradual decline of the SNP’s poll lead following Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation and the party’s finance scandal have handed Labour a big opportunity to reverse its previous collapse north of the border.
Keir Starmer is already seeking to take advantage of this, turning up in Scotland this week to campaign ahead of the potential Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election.
However, after speaking to Scottish Labour and SNP sources over the past couple of weeks, I’m not convinced that everything is as rosy for Starmer and his party as it may at first appear.