One of the UK’s top political experts has issued a “major health warning” around the General Election exit poll predictions for Scotland.
The nationalists are predicted to win 55 of the 59 seats north of the border by a bombshell survey released just as polls closed at 10pm.
However Sir John Curtice told the BBC that the exit polls may not be as accurate in Scotland as in the rest of the UK.
If the exit poll forecast proves correct it means the SNP will be just one seat short of the 56 seats they won in the post-independence referendum surge that saw them paint Scotland’s electoral map yellow.
Sir John added that it looks as though the broad picture provided by the exit polls “may be right”, but issued a caution that there are fewer sampling points in Scotland; and that the SNP figure for Scotland is “the bit about this poll about which we are, frankly, least confident”.
The forecasts for Scotland, he said, come with a “big health warning”.
Sir John added: “All we can take away (from the exit poll) is the SNP will be up in some and make some gains. The SNP are going to be up.
“Doing Scottish predictions based on UK exit polls is difficult.”
Sir John told the BBC: “Do not be surprised, particularly when we get further south and we get to much more pro-Remain constituencies that we do not see spectacular advances by the Conservatives.
“But in the north of England, in Leave areas, in working class seats, the Labour Party does seem to be in serious trouble.”
