Election: SNP’s Calum Kerr buoyed by latest poll

The poll, by Lord Ashcroft, puts the Conservatives on 30 per cent, the SNP one point behind on 29 per cent and the Lib Dems in third place with just 28 per cent in the Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk constituency.

Mr Kerr said: “People have had enough of Conservative and Lib Dem austerity. It has caused a huge amount of damage in the Borders. They are now hearing the SNP message of hope, renewal and honesty and are giving us their trust.”

“We know from our own polling that our vote is going up here by the day. Borderers don’t want the misery of more austerity, poverty, broken lives and broken businesses. They no longer want to be Scotland’s forgotten corner.

“If I’m their MP, I’ll put them at the centre of the Westminster stage. It’ll be a bright new start - their voice will be heard, and we’ll replace cuts with social fairness, economic ambition and first class public services.”

However, Mr Kerr stressed that a lot of work lies ahead for him and his SNP campaign team if they are to win Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk on May 7.

“We may be just a tiny whisker behind the Tories in this seat, but we still need to close that one point gap and move ahead. So we’ll be putting in a massive amount of hard work in the couple of weeks or so we have left.

“We have a fantastic message to get out there and we’re succeeding. Over generations, the Lib Dems and Tories have done nothing for this part of Scotland. With the SNP, that will change from day one.

“I’ll be a tireless champion for this constituency and for Scotland, working day and daily at the heart of our communities.

“Every single vote will count on May 7, but we can win this seat and I believe we’ll do so. It really is game on.”