Theresa May more in touch with Scottish people than Nicola Sturgeon, says Scottish Tory Leader Ruth Davidson

Scotland's First minister Nicola Sturgeon attends the STUC conference in Aviemore (Reuters)

Theresa May is "more in touch" with Scots than the First Minister, Ruth Davidson has claimed, after a new poll suggested the Tories could be on track to win eight seats in Scotland in the General Election.

Research by YouGov for The Times in Scotland put support for the Conservatives on 28% - behind the SNP, who were on 41%.

The poll, carried out ahead of the June 8 General Election, gave Nicola Sturgeon a positive approval of +2%, with 47% of people questioned stating she is doing well in her role compared to 45% who said she was doing badly.

The Prime Minister scored -14%, with 51% stating she was doing badly compared to 37% who think she is performing well.

Projections from the poll indicated the Conservatives could win eight seats in Scotland, up from the one MP they currently have, with SNP depute leader Angus Robertson's seat one of those the nationalists could lose.

The number of SNP MPs at Westminster could fall from 56 to 47, according to the projection.

Support for Labour in the poll was 18% - which should see the party's sole MP in Scotland Ian Murray hold on to the Edinburgh South constituency.

While the Liberal Democrats secured 7% in the poll, that could be enough for the party to win three seats, with the projection suggesting they could take Edinburgh West and East Dunbartonshire from the SNP while holding on Orkney and Shetland.

Winning eight seats would give Mrs May's party its best General Election return north of the border since 1992 when the party won 11.

Ms Davidson claimed: "This poll reveals Theresa May is more in touch with people in Scotland than Nicola Sturgeon.

"Last month, Alex Salmond, Angus Robertson and Nicola Sturgeon all arrogantly declared that opposing a second referendum would stoke support for independence.

"In fact, most people in Scotland see the common sense in saying now is not the time for yet another divisive referendum campaign."

The poll, for which more than 1,000 people were questioned between April 24 and 27, found 45% of Scots backing independence, with 55% in favour of the Union - the same result as recorded in the 2014 referendum.

The First Minister insisted it was only her party that could "stand up to the Tories" as she warned: "The truth is the more Tory MPs Westminster has, the heavier the price Scotland will pay."

The SNP leader was campaigning in East Renfrewshire, which the SNP took from the then Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy in 2015.

Ms Sturgeon said: "The SNP is the only party that can stand up to the Tories and, working with the Scottish Parliament, SNP MPs will fight these devastating policies."

Scottish Labour general election campaign manager James Kelly said: "This is yet another poll that shows people in Scotland do not want another divisive referendum and they don't want to leave the UK.

"When people go to the polls for the council elections on May 4 and the General Election on June 8, they can vote Labour to elect a local champion; or they can vote SNP to elect a candidate who will only focus on another divisive referendum."

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton, chair of the party's Scottish General Election campaign, said: "Our message of keeping Scotland in the heart of the UK and the UK in the heart of Europe is resonating with people and, come June 8, we are bracing ourselves to make significant gains."

PA