72% British Jews would like a ban on peaceful antisemitic demonstrations in Jewish areas.

Survation, on behalf of The Jewish Chronicle, have conducted a new poll which found that an overwhelming majority of British Jews would like a ban on peaceful antisemitic demonstrations in Jewish areas. The poll, conducted using a panel of the GB Jewish population, also found that where antisemitic rallies do take place, counter-demonstrations would be backed by a majority of the Jewish community. The Jewish Chronicle's take on the findings can be read here.

Key findings:

• Nearly three quarters (72%) of British Jews believe that antisemitic groups should not be permitted to stage peaceful demonstrations in Jewish areas.
• A firm majority (62%) of the Jewish community believe that Jewish people should hold counter-demonstrations to antisemitic rallies.
• Asked whether Islamist Extremists or Neo-Nazis were feared the most by British Jews, three in five people (61%) said that they were most concerned by Islamist Extremists with only 16% saying that they were most concerned by Neo-Nazis. 
• Nearly two-thirds (64%) of the Jewish community believe that Holocaust denial should be a criminal offence in the UK.

Survation interviewed 1,023 Jewish adults aged 18+ between 17th-23rd June 2015. The survey was generally conducted via telephone, but additional respondents were invited to take part via email invitation. Full tables are available here.

SNP open up 22 point lead over Labour on the NHS

The Scottish National Party published a new poll finding conducted by Survation, and commissioned by the SNP, which asked which party people in Scotland most trust with the National Health Service - and found that people trust the SNP over Labour by a factor of over two-to-one.

The poll question and findings are:

Which of the following political parties do you trust the most with Scotland's National Health Service (NHS)?

Scottish National Party: 42%
Scottish Labour: 20%
Scottish Conservatives: 9%
Scottish Liberal Democrats: 4%
Scottish Greens: 3%

UK Independence Party: 2%
Don't know: 14%
None of these: 8%

Over a quarter of people who voted Labour in 2010 and 2011 trust the SNP with Scotland's NHS. And more people who voted Lib Dem in 2010 trust the SNP than trust the Lib Dems.

Welcoming the figures, SNP MSP Bob Doris, Deputy Convener of the Scottish Parliament's Health and Sport Committee, said: "These are very encouraging figures, which help explain why the SNP government has a 24-point lead over Labour for the next Scottish Parliament election. After nearly eight years in office, people trust the SNP with Scotland's NHS rather than Labour by a factor of over two-to-one. This high level of public trust is a spur to keep doing better and delivering for NHS Scotland, which is a touchstone public service that we all depend on. While the health service south of the border is being steadily dismantled, our pledge is that Scotland's NHS will remain a public service in public hands for as long as the SNP are in government.

Continuing Mr Doris said: "The revenue budget of our NHS is set to rise in real terms for the remainder of this parliament, and in the face of Westminster austerity Nicola Sturgeon has pledged that if we are re-elected in 2016 it will rise in real terms in each year of the next parliament too. Just this week, Health Secretary Shona Robison has announced £100 million funding to help reduce the number of patients waiting to be discharged from hospital. We will never be complacent, because there are always challenges and more remains to be done - but we know that we are working for Scotland's National Health Service with the trust and support of people in Scotland."

New poll gives the SNP record poll leads

A new opinion poll by Survation for the Daily Record has given the SNP record leads in both Westminster and Holyrood voting intentions, as trust in Westminster politicians has evaporated. The poll put support for the SNP for the coming Westminster election at 45.8 per cent, compared to 23.9 per cent support for Labour – a 21.9 per cent lead over Labour, and the largest SNP lead in Westminster voting intentions that Survation has ever recorded.

The same poll also put support for the SNP for Holyrood at 50 per cent in the constituency vote and 40.6 per cent in the regional vote, while support for Labour stands at 23 per cent in the constituency vote and 20.3 per cent in the regional vote. This finding of a 27 per cent lead in the constituency vote and a 20.3 per cent lead in the regional vote are also the largest leads in Holyrood voting intentions that Survation has ever recorded.

According to the Weber Shandwick scotlandvotes.com model, these results would see Labour lose all of their remaining constituency seats in the Scottish Parliament. Overall, the Scottish Parliament would be: 

Scottish National Party 70 (2 list)

Scottish Labour Party 26 (all list) 

Scottish Conservative Party 16 (13 list)

Scottish Green Party 10 (all list) 

Scottish Liberal Democrats 6 (4 list) 

Other 1 (list).

Meanwhile a clear majority of people in Scotland distrust all three Westminster party leaders, with 63 per cent saying they mostly or completely distrust Nick Clegg, 62 per cent saying they mostly or completely distrust David Cameron and 59 per cent saying they mostly or completely distrust Ed Miliband. In contrast 50 per cent of people in Scotland indicated they trust SNP Leader Nicola Sturgeon.

Commenting, SNP Westminster Leader Angus Robertson MP said: "This new opinion poll giving the SNP our biggest ever lead in a Survation poll for both Holyrood and Westminster elections is enormously encouraging. It reflects all recent surveys in underlining the strength of the SNP vote, and is a further demonstration that Labour and the other Westminster parties are facing a major backlash in Scotland." 

Continuing Mr Robertson commented: "With a majority of people in Scotland saying that they distrust Ed Miliband, David Cameron and Nick Clegg, this poll is a disaster for all three Westminster parties. We take absolutely nothing for granted, and know there is a huge amount of hard work to be done in the weeks and months ahead - but there is no doubt that the SNP have momentum going into next year's Westminster election."

"These record leads for the SNP – for both the UK and Holyrood elections – reflect the fact that people are putting their trust in the SNP to stand up for Scotland, and ensure that the 'extensive new powers' we were promised by the Westminster parties in the referendum are delivered." Angus Robertson added.

Poll shows NHS is top issue in Rochester & Strood

An exclusive poll conducted by Survation for Unite in the constituency of Rochester and Strood reveals that the NHS is clearly the most important issue for voters at the forthcoming by-election.

The poll of 1012 people in the constituency also showed that, excluding those who said ‘don’t know’, a significant majority of voters (76 per cent) opposed the inclusion of the NHS in the EU-US trade deal called the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and want David Cameron to use his veto in Europe to prevent the NHS falling into the scope of this agreement. 37 per cent of voters considered the quality of local NHS hospitals and GP services in Medway to be the most important issue for them and their family at the moment. Concern over immigration trailed by 12 points (at 25 per cent) compared to voter concerns over the NHS.

Unite general secretary, Len McCluskey said: “The future of our NHS is what really matters to voters and their families in Rochester and Strood and it’s going to be what really matters to voters at the next general election. When most voters learn that the NHS is at risk of irreversible privatisation because of the trade deal called TTIP they expect David Cameron to act and be prepared to veto the deal. This is not an isolated poll, a majority of voters across a number of marginal Tory constituencies all want the government to protect the NHS from TTIP. Britain won’t be fooled by vague assurances over the NHS, the people of this country do not believe it’s right for the NHS to be part of an American trade deal. It’s ‘the party that fights most for the NHS’ not ‘the party that fights most against immigration’ that will win the next general election.”

The deal, known as TTIP, is being negotiated 'behind the closed doors', between EU bureaucrats and delegates from the United States. It is the largest bilateral trade deal ever negotiated and threatens to make privatisation of the NHS irreversible by giving the profits of corporations precedence over national lawmakers. TTIP would grant American multinationals, or any firm with American investors, the power to sue the government if it ever attempted to take privatised health services back into public ownership.

A poll, carried out by Survation in August this year, questioned over 2,600 voters across 13 marginal Conservative-held seats. Respondents were asked if health should be excluded from the deal and if David Cameron should use Britain’s veto. Across all constituencies 68 per cent said they opposed the inclusion of the NHS as part of the deal. Opposition was highest from those planning on voting for Labour or UKIP, 78 per cent and 77 per cent respectively, and just 23 per cent of Conservative voters supported inclusion.

Labour's opposition for oppositions sake isn't working

A new poll has shown the SNP maintaining a strong lead as Scotland’s most popular party – and the opposition parties struggling to make any progress as their tactics of opposition for opposition’s sake continue to fail. A new poll by Survation shows the SNP vote standing at 44 per cent – with Labour trailing 12 points behind on 32 per cent.

Scottish National Party 44
Labour 32
Conservative 15
Liberal Democrat 5
Other 4

Commenting, SNP Business Convener Derek Mackay MSP said: “These poll ratings are a remarkable vote of confidence in the SNP after seven years in government – and reflect the strong record of delivery of the SNP in Government. We are still polling around our 2011 landslide levels - and labour are still at their doldrum ratings of that election. Labour will be deeply concerned as these figures show a distinct lack of progress made under the leadership of Johann Lamont – their toxic alliance with the Tories in the No campaign is clearly not going down well with people in Scotland.

“These results should also serve as a wake-up call to all the opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament – their tactics of playing the politics of opposition for opposition’s sake aren’t impressing people in Scotland. These poll figures are also very encouraging as we go in to the European Parliament election campaign which will be a fantastic opportunity to elect a hard-working team of SNP MEPs and to make Scotland’s mark in Europe.”